Fr. Gerard Reynaert (1925-2018) popularly known as “mukulu” passed away on 03.05.2018 at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala. He lived 67 years of Missionary Life and almost all of them in Uganda. At 93, he was still the local bursar/guest master at lourdel house-vocations centre and chaplain to a community of Little Sisters of Saint Francis at Nsambya. The following was written about him in the Order of Mass celebrating his life:
Gerard’s faithfulness and commitment to the apostolate up to the last drop of his life and strength remain for us a powerful reminder of the strong recommendation of our founder, Cardinal Lavigerie: “My dear children, you are not explorers or ordinary travelers… You are apostles and only apostles. All your other interests must derive from that fundamental fact. I beseech you, revive within yourselves these great thoughts of the apostolate.”
This reminder is even more meaningful when put in the context of the 150th Jubilee of the foundation of the Missionaries of Africa and the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (Msola). Fr. Gerard’s faith has been ‘a down-to-earth and practical faith’. It is, therefore, not by chance that he passed on, on the day when we were celebrating the feast of St. James, whose teaching strongly emphasizes such a faith: “Faith without good deeds is dead”. (James, 2:26)
Gerard’s way of life corresponded well to the life that all Missionaries of Africa are invited to embrace: ‘Simple way of life’. He was a real Biblical Job: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I will depart.” (1:21) He departed from this earthly life “naked”; he left behind almost nothing! What a powerful message and legacy in a world full of greed of all sorts of earthly things! What a powerful message and legacy in a world where the “culture of grabbing” is on the increase everyday! Jokingly, Fr. Gerard used to speak of himself as “Ow’empisa ennungi” (someone with good manners). May we too, in spite of our human weaknesses, always aspire to be ‘abantu ab’empisa ennungi’ (people of good manners).
Fr. Gerard was laid to rest at Nabulagala parish where he helped out for masses until his dead. The faithful together with some confreres kept vigil and celebrated several masses throughout the night praying for Gerard. The Archbishop of Kampala, his grace Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga celebrated the funeral mass surrounded by a great crowd of people that came to bid farewell to jjaja (grandfather).
MAY FR. GERARD REST IN PEACE!naert (1925-2018)