Christmas 2023: dear families with missionary hearts, a fraternal greeting from Congo

By Father Rinaldo Do On Dec 21, 2023

Health Challenges and Electoral Hopes: Congolese Royalty between Aspirations and Crisis

I hope you are in good health. Here in Isiro the hospitals in these weeks of transition from the rainy to the dry season are full of sick people ( malaria, bronchitis, anemia, operations, malnutrition, paralysis…) to have good health and hospitals like you have in Italy is a dream for us here in Congo.

December 20: an important date, there are ELECTIONS

Our Congolese brothers and sisters are called to elect the President, 500 deputies of the National Assembly, those of the 26 provincial assemblies and, for the first time under the new Constitution, members of some 300 municipal councils.

There are 44 million voters called to vote, out of a total population of 100 million (a figure that indicates how young our Congolese population is).

Our bishops have animated the faithful to participate and vote by also asking, “Let us not leave the polling stations before the results are displayed at the polling station and without all the relevant documents having been officially signed. Let’s give mandate to the new leaders who have demonstrated a sense of the common good, love for the homeland and generosity in their social projects“.

They also warned against those who sow tribal hatred and about buying and selling votes. Those who use similar practices “are morally questionable and want to seize power through fraudulent means, not to serve, but to serve themselves, and continue to enslave us.”

There has been a lot of propaganda these days, in a few weeks we will have the results

Unfortunately in Kinshasa two priests ( a Belgian Salesian Fr. Leopold) were killed, the authorities are investigating, security is not good.

Church life here in Isiro, this Advent has been characterized by meetings, retreats, Masses in the Ecclesial Community… always with good participation and welcome, not to mention the Sunday Masses always packed with Christians.

The projects for a Seminarian today and a Missionary tomorrow continue as well as the construction of 3 classrooms for the kindergarten, the well for the new school, the construction of chapels, the Bible for each family, the ‘reception and help to malnourished and sick children … not to mention the service to the sick at the hospital in Neisu and to the Pygmies in Bayenga.

MISSION IS LIFE

CHRISTMAS is just around the corner! thoughts also run towards you who pray and think of us , make sacrifices for us by helping us financially… we continue to pray for you especially for the sick and for those among you who are mourning the passing of some of your loved ones.

May the Light of the Child of Bethlehem illuminate us throughout the new year 2024 praying for PEACE and building it among us.

BEST WISHES! TO ALL OF YOU MY THANKS AND OUR DAILY PRAYER WITH GRATITUDE.