Missionaries of Africa

Easter Sunday, Mass during the Day

Posted on 05/04/202605/04/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

This is the Day the Lord has made!

Acts 10:34,37-43 / Psalm 117(118) / Colossians 3:1-4 / John 20:1-9

On Easter Vigil, we sang the Easter Proclamation, also known as Exsultet. In this beautiful hymn, we proclaimed with ovation that “this is the night when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.”[1] It is undoubtedly the most beautiful expression of the mystery of Easter that we are celebrating today. Therefore, we join our voices to the psalmist in singing gladly “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.” (Ps 118:24).

Indeed, Easter is our day of joy and gladness as Christians and believers. Easter is the essence of our faith as the Apostle Paul stresses, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. (1 Cor. 15:17).

The relevance of Jesus’ resurrection

One thing remains certain: nobody knows the exact time and hour when Jesus rose from the dead. Not even Peter, ‘the rock upon whom the Lord would build his Church.’ (Mat. 16:18). We sung in the Easter Proclamation, “O truly blessed night, worthy alone to know the time and hour when Christ rose from the underworld!”[2] Hence, Jesus’ resurrection remains one of the mysterious events of human history.

The relevance of Jesus’ resurrection is that the women are in the front line. They are first to come to the tomb (Mat. 28:1), and (John 20:1). They are the first privileged ones to see, to know, and to believe in Jesus’ resurrection. Mark observes that “When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.” (Mark 16:9).

Furthermore, John confirms Jesus’ first appearance Mary Magdalene, “Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.” (John 20: 16-18).

The status quo of women in Jewish society at Jesus’ time

In Jewish society at Jesus’ time, women were looked down upon, marginalized and even mistreated. This is evident in the accounts of the multiplication of loaves as portrayed by the Four Gospels. Women were not counted among those who were fed by Jesus.

Matthew 14:21, mentions that “Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children”. Likewise, Matthew 15:38 speaks of “four thousand men, not counting women and children.” Mark notes that “Those who ate were five thousand men.” (Mark 6:44) and Luke similarly observes that: “Now the men there numbered about five thousand.” (Luke 9:14) John as well has the same narrative “So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.” (John 6:10).

This is a clear picture that women had no place, no consideration in the society at Jesus’ time. It is unfortunate to realize that even today, women are continually being despised and marginalized by men.

Jesus by appearing first to women after his resurrection, challenges the misogynist society of his time. Jesus chooses women, the weak ones, despised and mistreated by the society, to reveal to them the great news of his resurrection.

In fact, the Apostle Paul reminds us of this God’s wisdom in acting, observing that “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something…” (1Cor. 1:27-29).

The Actuality of Easter: What does Easter mean to us today?

Easter is first and foremost, a day of commemorating the victory. We remember and celebrate the victory of life over death, the victory of light over the power of darkness, the victory of love over hatred, the victory of good over evil. And this victory is won by Jesus of Nazareth who willingly accepted to suffer and die for the redemption of a fallen humanity. The Easter Proclamation puts it very well: “Our birth would have been no gain, had we not been redeemed.”[3]

Easter is a day that our faith should be strengthened in the resurrection. For the Lord Jesus who rose from the dead as the first fruit, has set an example for us believers. Henceforth, Easter should mean to us that death will disappear. Death is not the end of our life as Christians. In fact, the first preface for the dead makes it clear: “Indeed, for your faithful O Lord, life is changed not ended, and when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, as an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.”[4]

Conclusion

Celebrating Easter today, reminds us that good will always overcome evil, that light will always triumph over darkness, that up will prevail over down, the up of the resurrection over the down of the cross. Experience has shown that life has its ups and downs. The older you become, the better you know that life is all about light and darkness, sun and shadow, sweet and bitter, good and evil, sickness and health, virtue and vice, progress and regress, failing and rising, life and death, Good Friday and Easter!

Therefore, for us Missionaries of Africa, Easter should be a time to redefine our commitment to justice and peace towards those at the peripheries of our society. For, the risen Lord is always in solidarity with the little ones, poor ones, forgotten and marginalized of our society.

Lord Jesus, make of us channels of your Easter Peace, Easter Love and Easter Justice. Amen!

…………………………………………

[1] The Roman Missal. English Translation according to the Third Typical edition, (Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 2011), 334.

[2] The Roman Missal, p. 334.

[3] The Roman Missal, p. 334.

[4] The Roman Missal, p. 556.

By: Joseph Chirhahongerwa Chitwara, M.Afr.

Easter Vigil, Year A

Posted on 04/04/202604/04/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

Christ is risen from the dead. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gen 1:1-2:2 / Gen 22:1-18 / Ex 14:15-15:1 / Is 54:5-14 / Is 55:1-11 / Bar 3:9-15,32-4:4 / Ez 36:16-17,18-28 / Rom 6:3-11 / Ps 117(118) / Mt 28:1-10

The forty days of Lent have come to an end, and tonight we gather to celebrate the Easter Vigil. This is the Solemnity of solemnities; the mother of all feasts in the Holy Catholic Church. It is the most sacred night of our faith: the night of light, the night of new life, the night of victory. From darkness to light, from death to life, God reveals His saving power. As we keep vigil at the tomb of Jesus, we remain watchful and ready to welcome the Risen Lord alive, victorious, and immortal.

Two powerful signs help us enter into the meaning and mystery of the Resurrection:

The first sign is fire, which becomes light. In the beginning, God said, “Let there be light.” Light is a universal symbol of understanding, truth, and freedom from darkness and bondage. As we began this Vigil with the solemn Service of Light, we were reminded that Jesus is the Light of the world, who dispels all darkness and illumines our path just as the pillar of fire once guided the Israelites to the Promised Land. As we processed into the darkened church, the flame of the Paschal Candle spread among us, becoming a sign of Christ, the true Morning Star who never sets; the One in whom light has conquered darkness.

The second sign is water. Everywhere, water signifies renewal, purification, and the restoration of life. Through water and the Holy Spirit, we are reborn as children of a new creation. Tonight, in the solemn blessing of the baptismal font; when the Paschal Candle, symbol of the Risen Christ, is dipped into the water, we are reminded of our own Baptism. We renew our baptismal promises, rejecting sin and professing our faith. Through the waters of Baptism, our sins are washed away, and we are made new, living as children of God in the Holy Spirit. Tonight, water becomes for us a living spring; life giving and grace-filled; an image of the sacrament through which we share in the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Apart from these two signs, we also have another essential element: The Word of God. The readings we have listened to tonight each unfold and illuminate the meaning of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. They guide us through the history of salvation from creation, through the call and liberation of Israel, to the witness of the prophets – all pointing ever more clearly to Jesus Christ.

We began with the story of creation, where God brings order out of chaos and light out of darkness. This reminds us that God is always at work, even in the darkest moments of our lives, bringing forth something new and beautiful. Though sin entered the world through Adam, Christ, the new Adam, rises from the dead to inaugurate a new creation.

In the story of Abraham, we encounter a profound example of faith and trust. Abraham was willing to offer everything to God, and God, in turn, provided. This teaches us that God never abandons those who place their trust in Him. Just as Abraham was asked to offer his son Isaac, God the Father gave His only Son for our salvation. Accepting the Resurrection of Christ, therefore, becomes the true test and foundation of our faith.

In the Exodus (Ex 14:15–15:1), God delivers His people from slavery into freedom. The crossing of the Red Sea becomes a powerful symbol of salvation; a passage from bondage to liberty. In the same way, the Resurrection of Christ frees us from the slavery of sin and death and leads us into new life.

Through the prophet Ezekiel (Ez 36:16–28), God promises a new heart and a new spirit. He speaks of cleansing His people, removing their impurities, and renewing them from within. This promise is fulfilled in Christ, whose Resurrection purifies us and makes us a new creation.

In the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us that through baptism, we are united with Christ in His death and resurrection. Our old self is buried, and we rise to a new life, living no longer for sin but for God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, in the Gospel (Mt 28:1–10), the women come to the tomb and find it empty. The new tomb in which Jesus was buried was found empty. It was a new tomb; hence there was no mix up of bodies. The Roman guards who were there also bore witness to the fact of the empty tomb. St. John in the Gospel gives us “the experience of the empty tomb as a sign of Jesus’ Resurrection to life. Jesus is risen; he is not there. Mary Magdalene runs back to tell the disciples that the Lord’s body is not in the tomb. The ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’ and Peter ran to the tomb and, although the ‘beloved disciple’ got there first, out of respect he let Peter go in before him. St. John tells us that the beloved disciple also entered into the empty tomb, and “he saw and he believed.” He believed that the Lord is risen indeed.” Here the answer to the question “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? is, “the empty tomb.” The message resounds with hope and victory: “He is not here; He has been raised.” Death has been conquered. Christ is alive.

My dear brothers and sisters, with great joy let us proclaim: “Christ is risen from the dead!” Let “Alleluia! Alleluia!” be our song each day, for we are now “Easter people”. By His resurrection, Jesus has conquered death, and this victory is the very foundation of our faith. It assures us of our own resurrection, proclaims the forgiveness of our sins, and calls us to eternal life. Therefore, we are invited to move from fear to faith, from doubt to hope, and from death to life. Let us take a moment to recognize what holds us captive; whether sin, fear, or unhealthy habits; and allow God to lead us into true freedom. Like the women at the tomb, let us go forth and share this Good News through our words and our lives.

May this celebration be the beginning of a renewed and disciplined commitment to prayer, sacrifice, and charity, nurtured during our Lenten journey. Also, may it strengthen our faith and fill our hearts with the joy of the Risen Lord. Alleluia!

By: John C. Mubanga, M.Afr.

Holy Thursday, the Lord’s Supper

Posted on 02/04/202602/04/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

Exodus 12:1-8,11-14 / Psalm 115(116) / 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 / John 13:1-15

Dear Brethren,
As we celebrate Holy Thursday, we remember the last meal of Jesus with his disciples. During the Last Supper, Jesus accomplished three important gestures: Communion, through the institution of the Holy Eucharist; Service through the washing of the feet, and the commandment of love. These gestures are living challenges that speak to each one of us today. Let us break them down one by one:

The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with each other

Saint Paul, in the second reading, reminds us of the very words of Jesus spoken on that holy night. They are the same words the priest repeats at every consecration, words that carry life and salvation.

On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread. He gave thanks, he broke it, and he said: “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper, he took the cup and declared: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25). What do these words mean to us today?

Each time we gather around the altar, Christ himself gives us his body and his blood. He gives us his very life, so that we may live in him. The Eucharist is not only about me and Jesus. It is also about us together. Sharing the same bread means we are one family. But what does it mean to receive Communion if I still carry hate in my heart, if I divide people, if I reject others? How can we say we are united with Christ if we reject our brother or sister? Too often, we see people who go to church, who receive Communion, but then go out and gossip, destroy other people’s reputation, sow division, and live with jealousy. Families are divided, communities are torn apart by tribalism, racism, and religious fights. The Eucharist is a call to reconciliation. It is a call to forgive, to heal, to build bridges. It challenges us to look around and see the suffering of our brothers and sisters, and not remain indifferent. If we truly share the bread of life, then we must also share life itself; respect, dignity, and compassion for all.

Sometimes, even in our communities, we fall into the same contradictions. Confreres live under one roof, yet they do not live in harmony. Brothers who share the same table of the Eucharist may still carry resentment, compete for influence, or seek the favour of Christians at the expense of their own confreres. How can we proclaim unity in Christ while allowing division to grow among us? The Eucharist we celebrate every day is not just a ritual or a habit to be repeated; rather, a call to be our brother’s keeper, to put love, compassion, and unity at the centre of our agenda. If we truly believe that Christ gives himself fully to us, then we must also give ourselves fully to one another, building communities where reconciliation is stronger than rivalry, and where fraternity is lived as a witness to the Gospel.

The Washing of Feet: true leadership is service

Jesus, the Master, bent down and washed the feet of his disciples. This was shocking to many. The one who is Lord became the servant. He showed us that true leadership is not about power, but about service. Yet look at our world today. Too many leaders, political and even religious, fight for power only to dominate. They cling to their positions at any cost, forgetting the people they are supposed to serve. But Jesus shows us another way: leadership is service. Power is not for crushing others; it is for lifting them up. True power is service, and without service, power becomes oppression.

The world cries out for leaders who serve, who protect and care for those entrusted to them. Like Jesus, let us be those leaders who listen more and speak less, who put the needs of the people before our own. True leadership is not about showing off or giving extraordinary gifts, but about being present, humble, and ready to serve. Let us choose to give up pride, comfort, and power so that others may rise.

The New Commandment: love one another

Jesus gave us a new commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.” These are not just words. It is action. Real love does not exclude. Real love does not reject the foreigner, the immigrant, the poor. Yet today, love is spoken in speeches, but not lived in reality. Jesus calls us to a love that is concrete: a love that welcomes the stranger, protects the weak, breaks down walls of division, and embraces everyone with dignity. Love must be real, not just a slogan. Love must be lived, not just spoken. So, the question remains: whom do we really love?

Jesus never commanded us to love our religion, our ideologies, or only those of our same race. He told us to love one another. His commandment to love our neighbours leaves no room for choosing which neighbour deserves love. We are called to love regardless of race, class, social status, or gender. Yet we live in a world where many walk around with a mouth full of scripture but a heart full of hate. A friend of mine once said: “Don’t tell me what you believe, show me how you treat other people, and I will know what you believe”. If our love for scripture does not push us to love others, then that love is fake. As one theologian put it: “If my religion tries to come between me and my neighbour, I will choose my neighbour.” Truly, they will know we are Christians by the love we have for one another.

Therefore, Holy Thursday is a mirror. It shows us who we are. We are challenged today: are we living communion, service, and love, or are we living hypocrisy, division, and selfishness? Let us allow the Eucharist to unite us. Let us kneel down and serve, like Jesus. Let us commit to love in truth, not only in words. May the power of the Resurrection free us from pride and selfishness, so that we may embrace inclusion, respect, and dignity for all. Amen

By: Louis Kangwa, M.Afr.

Palm Sunday, Year A

Posted on 28/03/202628/03/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

“We Adore you, O Christ, and we Praise you, because by your Holy Cross you have Redeemed the World”.

Isaiah 50:4-7 / Psalm 21 (22) / Philippians 2:6-11 / Matthew 26:14-27:66

Brothers and Sisters,
The liturgy of today is indeed extraordinary. It is one of many contrasts. Here is the Messiah, riding on a donkey, coming from the village of Bethany down to the valley of the Kidron. He makes a strategic descent, humbling himself to ride on a donkey, carrying all of us with him, so that as he rises to go up to Jerusalem, he lifts each one of us up to God.

Jesus enters Jerusalem, hailed as “the King who comes in the Name of the Lord”. It’s one of those glorious moments in his life. But then things change so quickly and take a dramatic turn, as they sometimes do in our lives; the hour of darkness sets in, and in the end, Jesus is crucified, he dies and he is sealed in a tomb, wrapped up in a shroud, and left on a stone shelf in a quarry that had been turned into a cemetery.

“I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled my beard”, says Isaiah. The son of God is “dumped before his shearers never opening his mouth”. He willingly goes into his passion as one who yields to the will of his Father. He doesn’t complain, but rather lets his adversaries have the better of him, yet by this innocence and his holy cross he redeems the world destined to damnation.

Reflecting on the gospel of today, which in the early centuries was used on the first Sunday of Advent (to begin the liturgical year), and moving from episode to episode, Jesus undergoes a process of stripping. He, step by step, is deprived of almost everything. He’s stripped of the allegiance and the company of the Twelve, his friends, he is betrayed by one of them, denied by another, and at the end deserted by all. In the garden of Gethsemane, he has to give up the desire for earthly life, “take away this cup from me” he cries, but it is not his own will.

In his arrest, he loses his physical liberty. In the trials before the Sanhedrin and then before Pilate, he’s deprived of basic justice, the right to defend himself; he loses the protection of the law. Yes, all this was a travesty of justice, it was a miscarriage of the rule of law, and the mistreatment of the Son of God. Today, many go through the same experience: being falsely accused of the crimes they haven’t committed, left languishing in the prisons without appeal. Who will plead for their course?

In the roughing, and the mocking Jesus loses the sympathy of the people he had fed even though Pilate finds no evil in him. He is disregarded by the cohort of religious men, derided by soldiers, by the passers-by, and even fellow criminals. He’s stripped of his dignity, respect and reputation. He is abandoned to the mercy of those he must save, and yet he is there “never opening his mouth”. How much more do we ignore those deprived of their rights and dignity? And what role do we play in ensuring that each one feels a member of the human family despite of their social status?

“My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”, He cries out. At this point, like every human being, he seems to lose even the felt sense of the Father’s closeness. In his cry he is carrying the unanswered questions of so many of us who feel deserted, left to the cruelty of a society that seems to be indifferent to the plea of the poor and the most vulnerable. It is the cry of the migrants whose hopes have been dashed into the unforgiving waters of the Atlantic. It is the cry of the people who have fled their homes in the DR Congo, the Sudan, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Mali, Palestine, Israel, Iran, Ukraine and other parts of the world, because of senseless wars. It is the cry of those nations ravaged by coups d’états, and it is indeed the cry of every human soul longing for Justice and peace.

Jesus undergoes a process of subtraction and diminishment. He has been subjected into the treatment of anything disposable. Yet, says St. Catherine of Siena, he goes into his passion like a deer yearning for water – thirsting for our wellbeing, and surely our happiness in God.

On the contrary, we put an accent on self-expansion, on value-addition, we want to add to ourselves; to be more, to do more, and to possess more; more achievements, more experiences, more knowledge, more money, a high reputation, and indeed all that inflates our ego. This is what society values, appreciates and pushes us to be. Yet the Holy One of God is reduced to nothing. He, says St. Paul, “assumes the condition of a slave”.

Finally, Jesus cries out in a loud voice “Father into your hands I commend my Spirit”. In this harrowing cry, the Christ, says the catechism, communicates to the Father all our troubles, the troubles of all time. He offers to him all the petitions and intercessions of salvation history. And the Father heard him, so that by his self-offering he redeems the world. By this cry he gathers the children of God together “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings”. He does it, as Julian of Norwich puts it, with “the motherhood of God” in his heart. He does it as the high priest who makes atonement for our sins, as the incarnate Word carrying all of us in his body disfigured by beatings. He gathers all of us scattered by climate change, geo-political and economic confrontations, armed conflicts and ethnic divisions. He gathers all of us living in uncertainty.

So, in faith and simplicity, let us connect with the moment and allow the liturgy of this holy week to enter into us and to transform us, and it will because the liturgy works.

By: Nicholas Iwuala, M.Afr.

March against Femicide in Beira, Mozambique

Posted on 26/03/202626/03/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

In the heart of Beira, the capital of Sofala Province, a resounding message echoed through the streets last week: enough is enough. On March 7, 2026, approximately 700 women, alongside members of civil society organizations, women’s groups, community leaders, and allies, took to the streets in a determined march to denounce and demand an end to femicide in the city.

Organized by the Archdiocesan Commission for Justice and Peace of the Beira Archdiocese, in collaboration with partners such as the AMPDC (Association of Women for the Promotion of Community Development) and other local entities like the Grupo de Mulheres de Partilha de Ideias de Sofala (GMPIS), the event carried the powerful slogan: “Basta de Feminicídio! Unidos para Acabar com Toda a Violência contra Mulher e Rapariga” (Enough of Femicide! United to End All Violence Against Women and Girls).

The march aligned with celebrations surrounding the Day of the African Woman and served as a precursor to broader mobilizations around International Women’s Day on March 8, amplifying a unified voice against the rising tide of gender-based violence in Mozambique, particularly in Beira.

A Growing Crisis Demands Urgent Action

Beira has witnessed an alarming escalation in crimes against women, with femicide cases mounting in recent months. Local reports and monitoring by observatories have highlighted multiple tragic incidents in the early part of 2026 alone, often rooted in domestic violence and impunity. The Catholic Church’s Justice and Peace Commission, active in the archdiocese for 38 years, under the Missionaries of Africa, has framed the event within its mission rooted in the Social Doctrine of the Church, Vatican II teachings, and a commitment to human dignity, peace, social justice, and the rule of law. The Missionaries of Africa see themselves as deeply connected to Mozambican society and actively engaged in addressing daily realities faced by communities. The march aimed to empower victims and witnesses to report cases to authorities, including the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PGR) and police, while pressing for stronger public safety measures as essential to achieving true justice and social equity.

The March: A Display of Unity and Resolve

Participants gathered at Praça dos Professores in Chipangara at 8:30 a.m., with the procession departing at 90:00 a.m. The route proceeded along Avenida Armando Tivane, circled the Rotunda do Goto, continued down Avenida Samora Machel, and concluded at Praça da Juventude in front of the Casa dos Bicos.

Carrying banners, chanting slogans, and united in solidarity, the crowd, predominantly women but inclusive of supportive men, youth, and faith communities, transformed the city’s central avenues into a platform for visibility and resistance. The participation of around 700 women highlighted the scale of community mobilization and the shared urgency to confront a problem that affects families, neighbourhoods, and the entire society.

Civil society played a key role, with women’s organizations amplifying calls for accountability, better protection mechanisms, and cultural change to eradicate the root causes of violence. The event highlighted that ending femicide requires collective effort: from education and awareness to robust legal responses and community support systems.

The centre message was unmistakable: femicide must stop. Participants demanded that authorities act decisively, that society reject tolerance of violence, and that women and girls live free from fear. By uniting diverse groups under one banner of Justice and Peace, the march demonstrated that the fight against gender-based violence transcends religious, political, or social divides; it’s a shared human imperative.

Beira has spoken loudly and clearly: Basta de feminicídio. The struggle continues until every woman and girl can live in safety and dignity.

By: Elie Sango Nyembo, M.Afr.

GMG Communication Team meets the new Confreres in the Fourth Phase

Posted on 25/03/202625/03/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

On the 18^th of March 2026, the Communication Team of the ‘Groupe Maison Généralice’ (GMG), in collaboration with the Secretary of Initial Formation of the Missionaries of Africa in Rome, Italy, organised an online meeting which brought together twenty-seven (27) new members of the Society who are finalising their initial formation in the five theology formation houses around the world. Prior to this meeting, the GMG Communication Team met with the Rectors of the fourth phase to discuss the feasibility of this meeting. The objective of the meeting was to create an awareness about the services that are available to them as Missionaries of Africa, such as access to the social media platforms of the Society, the website and email system. Besides, the opportunity was seized to encourage the confreres on the good work they are doing in managing the various social media platforms of their respective formation houses, while making them aware of greater opportunities in collaboration with the Communication Team in the creation of content for the Society’s website (mafrome.org) and internal newsletter (Petit Echo).

During this meeting, the confreres appreciated the chance given to them to interact with the Communication Team and to ask questions pertinent to them. During the Open forum, their questions revolved around the Society’s logo, its social media platforms, the mafrome.org website and the Lavigerie App. It was encouraging to note that many of them are enthusiastic to share their knowledge and experiences with the rest of the Society and the world through Petit Echo and the website of the Society.

This meeting is the first of its kind and it will be followed up with others targeting each theology house separately. During the subsequent meetings, the Communication Team will show the confreres how to access the internal communication systems of the Society. This will ensure that they are abreast with all the developments within the Society and that they are able to contribute to the flow of information and knowledge among the members.

The Secretary of Initial formation, Father Evariste Some, who was present during the online zoom meeting, expressed his appreciation to the confreres in our theology houses for embracing this initiative and for actively enriching the encounter with their ideas and questions.

The meeting ended with the singing of the Society’s hymn Sancta Maria.

By: Vitus Danaa Abobo, M.Afr.

Youth in Kasamba, Zambia sensitised on safeguarding issues

Posted on 23/03/202623/03/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

Every year, on 12th March 2026, Zambia celebrates its youth by declaring the day a holiday to remind young people of their importance, empower them, help them recognize their vital contributions to national development, and encourage active participation in shaping the country’s future.

The Zambian Church is not left out in this celebration of the youth. Every year, the youth of St. John the Baptist Parish, Kasamba, Zambia, gather to celebrate this day. This year, they gathered once again at the parish level, and we seized the opportunity to raise awareness and educate them on safeguarding.

The turnout was massive, and their participation in the session was overwhelming. Topics addressed included: emotional, physical, verbal, and sexual abuse. The questions they asked and the contributions they made demonstrate that these issues are not unfamiliar to them; rather, they have never had an opportunity to speak about them. We encouraged them not to stay silent when they witness cases of abuse and explained the appropriate channels for reporting such cases.

The session was organized by Fr. Michael Okunola M.Afr, the chaplain for the youth at the parish level, and the guest speaker was Sr. Agnes Chisenga FMDM (Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood).

By: Michael Okunola, M.Afr.

Fifth Sunday of Lent, Year A

Posted on 21/03/202621/03/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

“I will Open your Graves... and you Shall Live”

Ezekiel 37:12-14 / Psalm 129(130) / Romans 8:8-11 / John 11:1-45

Dear brothers and sisters,
This Sunday, the liturgy places us before the deepest human fear: death. Not only physical death, but every form of interior, relational, and spiritual death that touches our lives. Astonishingly, the Church gives us these readings before Easter for a reason. Why? Is it an error? Surely it can’t be an error. It is simply because Lent is not simply a path toward the Resurrection, it is a journey into the very places where we need resurrection. Today’s Word is not a distant promise for the end of time. It is a call to let God’s life enter the places we have sealed with stones.

In the first reading, Israel, exiled and broken, cries out: “Our bones are dried up, our hope is lost.” Into this despair, God speaks a shocking promise: “I will open your graves and bring you back.”. Notice how everything begins with God. He does not ask Israel to climb out. He does not wait for Israel to improve. He Himself enters the grave and brings life from within. This is always the pattern of salvation. God goes where we cannot. He enters the places we fear the most, the failures we hide the most, the wounds we bury the most. Hence, we notice that the Resurrection begins not with our effort, but with God’s initiative.

Saint Paul takes this promise and brings it to its climax: “The Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.” Christianity is not moral improvement; it is divine indwelling. The same Spirit who breathed life into the dry bones, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the tomb, is already at work in the baptized. Paul contrasts two ways of living: a life closed in on itself, self-reliant, self-protective, spiritually suffocating and a life open to God’s power, receptive, surrendered, free. Resurrection is not only about the future. It is a present transformation. The Spirit is already loosening the grave clothes of fear, sin, and resignation.

The Gospel presents to us the raising of Lazarus which is in fact the final and greatest sign before Jesus’ Passion. It is not a spectacle; it is a revelation of identity: “I am the resurrection and the life”, says Jesus. And look at how Jesus reveals the heart of God. He weeps, showing that God is not indifferent to our suffering. He calls, “Lazarus, come out!”, showing that His word reaches even what is dead. And He commands the community, “Unbind him”, showing that resurrection is personal but never private. God’s grace often reaches us through the hands and hearts of others. God involves us in one another’s liberation. God chooses to heal us not only through prayer and personal effort, but also through the presence, compassion, and courage of the people He places in our lives. It’s a beautiful truth: God could free us alone, but He prefers to free us together.

Lastly one may ask, why does the Church proclaim resurrection before Easter? The answer is that it’s because Lent is not a funeral march. It is a conversion into life. Before we celebrate Christ’s victory, we must recognize the places where we need it. The Church proclaims resurrection now so that we dare to hope before we see, to trust before we understand, to open the tomb before the stone rolls away.

Every person carries a “Lazarus”: a relationship that has cooled, a dream that has faded, a habit that enslaves, a fear that paralyzes, a sin that suffocates. Where have you said, like Israel, “My hope is lost”? Where have you sealed the tomb? Christ stands before that place today.

The God who opened Israel’s graves, the God who raised Jesus from the dead, the God who called Lazarus back to life, is the same God who speaks to us now. Resurrection is not only Christ’s destiny. It is ours as well because Christ earned it for us. So, Lent is the season when we dare to believe it.

And so, brothers and sisters, as we stand on the threshold of Holy Week, let us not be afraid to let Christ draw near to the places we keep hidden. He does not come to condemn our graves but to open them. He does not come to shame our darkness but to shed light into it. He does not come to expose our weakness but to breathe His Spirit into it. If you find yourself tired, discouraged, or carrying something that feels too heavy to lift, remember this: Jesus does not ask you to roll away the stone by yourself. He only asks you to let Him stand before it. He only asks you to let His voice reach the place you thought was beyond salvation. And when He calls, because He ‘will’ call, may we have the courage to take even one small step toward the light. And may we allow one another to “unbind” what still restricts us, because resurrection is always a gift shared in community.

The God who opened graves in Israel, who raised His Son from the dead, who called Lazarus back to life, desires to do the same in us. Not someday. Not only at the end of time. But now, in this Lent, in this Eucharist, in this very moment. May we dare to believe that nothing in us is too dead for God, and nothing in God is too small for us. And may this Lent become the season when we finally let Him bring us back to life.

Let Christ stand before the places you’ve sealed shut, because nothing in you is too dead for His resurrection.
Amen.

By: Jean Damascène Bimenyimana, M.Afr.

If It’s Exciting to Think About It, Imagine Living It!

Posted on 19/03/202619/03/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

New safeguarding policy for Central Africa Province launched

Posted on 17/03/202617/03/2026 by Vitus Danaa Abobo

From 26 to 31 January 2026, the safeguarding delegates of the Central Africa Province (PAC) met at the Lavigerie Missionary Centre (CML) in Kigali, Rwanda. During this meeting, the Vice-Provincial and the Provincial Coordinator for Protection moderated the proceedings. The agenda included: the welcome of participants and their formal introduction; the reading of the minutes of the 2025 meeting held in Bujumbura, Burundi; and the sharing of experiences by the various sector safeguarding delegates.

On this occasion, the Society’s Coordinator on Integrity in Ministry, Lowrent Kamwaza, delivered an online conference recalling the duties and responsibilities of the safeguarding delegates. Furthermore, during this meeting, we officially launched the new safeguarding policy for the province of PAC entitled: “Prevent and Protect: The Policy of the Missionaries of Africa in the Central Africa Province (PAC) for the Prevention of Abuse and the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Persons.” This policy is the fruit of a broad consultation among the confreres of the Province (PAC), a process that reached its culmination during the safeguarding session organized by the General Council for the confreres of the PAC engaged in safeguarding, in February 2025 in Bujumbura, Burundi.

We thank the Provincial of the PAC for the promulgation of this policy, which is so important for the safeguarding ministry within the province. For the dissemination of this policy, responsibility has been entrusted to each sector safeguarding delegate, who must first explain it to the confreres of his sector before its distribution.

The meeting concluded with a ray of hope and the conviction that safeguarding is, and must remain, everyone’s responsibility. Together, we can banish the phenomenon of abuse from within our pastoral places.

By: Arsene Somda, M.Afr.
Coordinateur Provincial à la Protection de la PAC