y
mission experience revolved around Shiabunda, a city in the region of Sudkivu,
in the East of D.R. Congo, about 1,500 miles from the capital Kinshasa.
I spent 8 years in Shiabunda, that borders Burundi and Rwanda.
The work during Lent for us Xaverians means visiting the communities, and
see how prepared are the catechumens to receiving baptism.
Because of the size of the parishes, some of them pretty large, I would
spend all of the Lenten season moving from community to community.
At times, I would be able to visit one in the morning, the other in the
evening. At other times, it
required longs walks through the forest, in walks less traveled, and arrived in
the middle of the night. After a
good night rest, I was ready to hear confessions, celebrate the Eucharist, visit
with the Catechumens, anoint the sick and elderly,… and so continue my journey
to another community.
With
the catechumens, it’s a journey that last about 4 years of preparation, done
in the most part by the local Christians. They
are divided in areas, that respond to a common center where everyone gathers for
the celebration of Holy Week. They
live, work, study, and assimilate the Gospel values.
The local Christian community hosts them, and provides for their food,
even during these years when poverty abounds.
On Holy Saturday, or Easter Sunday, baptisms are performed, the Holy
Spirit descends on the new disciples in Confirmation, they attend the Eucharist,
and if there are married couples among them, they receive the Sacrament of
Matrimony.
Just try to imagine what a celebration, with full
participation of the local community!
If you want to have an idea of our parish, just imagine that it’s 150 miles in length, with dirt roads for the most part, with bridges down, impossible to travel in one day only. But the Easter celebration brought all the communities together, and that was only the work of God. We learned a lot from these people, especially in their willingness to prepare themselves for baptism, and celebrate the Eucharist. It’s truly a feast, with dances, songs, festive dresses and decorations. And many of them were thankful for having been baptized as adults, for they knew now the full meaning of their baptism. Another important aspect of their faith is the community’s effort to send catechists to remote communities that we would normally visit only once a year. That’s mission work! They feel called to bring the Gospel even to those whom they do not know, for the Gospel message is meaningful when it’s shared!
(From Misioneros Xaverianos - Monthly Xaverian Magazine from Mexico)