After Forum in Kisangani, a New Impulse of the Works of Mercy in Yanonge
In Yanonge, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, restitution and formation on works of mercy were organized by Father Vittorio after the Kisangani Forum for catechists and pastoral animators
One of the protagonists of the Forum on the ReEvolution of the Works of Mercy that took place just in September in Kisangani is Father Vittorio Faronnato. A Comboni missionary of Italian origin, he has lived in Congo for 50 years and is currently pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Yanonge, a town in Isangi territory in Tshopo province located more or less on the banks of the Congo River sixty-two kilometers downstream from Kisangani.
On the sidelines of the preparation for the Forum, Father Vittorio had to present a catechesis; inspired by gratuitousness as the driving force behind works of mercy, Speaking of a society that must refer to Christ to make mercy the way of life. The big news is the gratuitousness of every Christian and mercy toward those who suffer, in a culture of selfishness that ignores the losers.
Formation on the works
After the Forum, upon his return to his parish he also had the opportunity to provide restitution and formation on the works of mercy to 50 catechists and animators as he writes:
“Our Sacred Heart parish in its name already has a focus on mercy which is operational. There are many poor people in Yanonge for a historical reason: this was Tippo Tip’s slave camp here. We have a mixture of ethnicities, fragility of family fabric, many families (of women) without land rights. The land belonged to the original clans. There is almost no paid work and pension. Farmers sell the best produce to make money. Malnutrition is present”.
The works of practice
Operationalizing the works of mercy is also the experience Father Vittorio shares with us through the initiatives in which his parish in Yanonge is involved. “We live the works of mercy at the level of spontaneity and with entrepreneurial initiatives. The Gospel educates hearts and care for the weak is manifested. To carry out the works of mercy, we invite each CEV to get to know those living in fragile situations, regardless of church and clan.
We have asked the Hospital to report to us the almost incurable patients who remain in homes”. The Parish has two groups serving Mercy: the “Watenda Mema” and the “Boboto Bosembo”. They visit the sick in hospitals, go to the jail, follow the elderly and the weak in the neighborhood. They contribute money and food, manage the week’s offerings in the Parish. For the parish priest’s birthday (80 years old) we gathered all the elders in a big party every January 11. From time to time they organize a small party in the hospital and prison.
“We have undertaken other initiatives in the field of entrepreneurship. We have started two major initiatives: a Soap Factory and a Construction Company. It all started with evening awareness raising against alcoholism. Men come back from the forest tired, without having eaten, and they drink to forget their misery”.
One day 10 women came to me and said, “Father, we make distilled alcohol; It’s a bad job, we want to change. We want to make soap.”
From there came the idea to start making soap locally and to no longer depend on the soap that comes from Kisangani but to make it locally in the village. Because in between there is palm oil, abandoned palm nuts that can produce palm kernel oil. We started and we are working in Partnership, and thanks to CIFOR we received technical support. We have formed a Cooperative. Now we have almost completed the training of 50 members, most of them women.
In our works we try to show God’s concern for His children and the dignity of all life. In particular, we want to prevent rural exodus and uncontrolled emigration: that our Young People are happy to live in the Land God has chosen for us.
Father Vittorio Farronato
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