We have received some details on Father Roland Dubourt’s death from one of his confreres in Nzovwe, Father Wolfgang Büth. At the end of the page, you will find three recent photos of Roland, of which two were taken in his workshop. Roland was a very active man who was providing work to quite a few people.
Fr. Roland Dubourt, who was attached to the community of Missionaries of Africa at Nzovwe Parish, in Mbeya diocese, died on Wednesday, 22nd March 2017, between 6 and 7 o’clock, at a place called IYELA, about 3 km outside Nzovwe. He was doing his physical exercises, riding a bicycle, as he did most mornings when at Nzovwe.
Some time afterwards people informed us at Nzovwe, that he had fallen from his bicycle. We went immediately by car to the place, where it had happened, and found him dead. There was an eye-witness who had seen, what had happened. : it seems Roland had not fallen with the bike, but the road was going up a small hill and he had to use more strength to drive the bike up the hill. Half way up he stopped and grabbed the root of a tree on the side of the road, still sitting on the bike, possibly to get his breath back. He started trembling very much and then collapsed.. So far the report of the eye-witness to us.
Meanwhile people started assembling. They laid Roland on the side of the road. We were told that the Police had been informed and were coming and we should wait for them. While we waited we were praying the Rosary for Roland.
When the Police arrived, they made photographs of the scene of the accident and took statements from the eye-witness and us. Then they took the body of Roland in their car to bring him to the mortuary at the Referral Hospital in Mbeya, next to the Cathedral..
The same day in the afternoon Bishop Evaristo M. Chengula celebrated a Mass for Roland in the Cathedral, which we attended together with about 18 priests and 25 – 30 Sisters and a number of Christians who had got the news the same day about Roland’s departure to the Lord.
The Bishop announced today, that on Wednesday, March 29th there will be a Requiem-mass for Roland at Mbeya-Mwanjelwa at 10 o’clock, followed by the burial of our confrere at the cemetery where diocesan priests are buried.
United in prayer,
Wolfgang Büth, M-Afr.