Congo Church in Ferment for Beatification of Four Martyrs Scheduled for August 18
Brother Vittorio Faccini, Father Luigi Carrara, Father Giovanni Didonè, Father Albert Joubert: the four martyrs who will become Blessed
The Church in Uvira is preparing to celebrate the beatification of the servants of God Brother Vittorio Faccin, Father Luigi Carrara, Father Giovanni Didonè and Father Albert Joubert: evangelizers animated by a spirit of fraternity and missionary ardor, faithful to God’s call even to the gift of blood.
Martyred in Baraka and Fizi on Nov. 28, 1964, they will be beatified on Aug. 18, 2024 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Uvira by the Holy Father’s delegate, His Eminence Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Cardinal of Kinshasa.
Almost all of Africa but particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo has been ravaged for almost fifty years by civil wars that have brought enormous loss of life and impoverishment to the country, blocking all economic and social development.
It was during Mulele’s war of rebellion in 1964 that the four Venerables gave their testimony : Luigi Carrara, Albert Joubert, Vittorio Faccin and Giovanni Didonè.
Who are these martyrs?
Pope Francis proclaimed our brothers as martyrs, including three Xaverian missionaries namely, Father Luigi, Father Giovanni Brother Vittorio and Father Albert.
Brother Vittorio Faccin, the goodness of the brother that becomes a Eucharist
Brother Vittorio (1934-1964) was only 25 years old when he arrived in Congo. He left his home country of Italy, his parents and his friends to join the parish of Baraka, on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika.
“I am happy,” he wrote to his parents with emotion, “you cannot imagine the joy that dwells in me in these places where I can help those who do not know what gift the Lord has filled us with by giving us to become Christians. Community treasurer and youth chaplain (choirs and Xaveri Movement), the young brother gave his heart and soul to the mission: “Our work consists in making known the logic of Jesus’ love: knowing how to forgive and love even one’s enemies,” he often repeated.
Becoming Eucharist
“In the past I had a desire to become a missionary priest. During these years of preparation for missionary life, the Lord made me realize that it is better for me to sacrifice myself for Him than for Him to immolate Himself in my heart.” He himself became a guest in the Lord’s hands, and his gentleness was his most beautiful sermon. He was hit by three bullets and died in front of the Baraka Church he had not finished building.
Father Luigi Carrara, martyr of missionary solidarity
“If you want to kill me, I would rather die here, next to my brother.” These were the last words of Father Luigi (1933-1964) in front of the parish of Baraka, in front of the rebel leader who had just opened fire three times on his confrere, Brother Vittorio. In fact, having witnessed the murder of his confrere, he no longer had any doubts about what was waiting for him, and his gesture of kneeling down, next to his just-dead confrere to pray, enraged the rebel leader who killed him with a bullet in the chest. The three priests, along with the friar, could have fled long ago, but instead they preferred to remain beside their faithful.
Father John Didonè, martyr following the example of the Good Shepherd
Father John (1930-1964) came from an Italian family of eleven children, seven of whom became religious (three priests and four nuns). After ordination he arrived in the Congo in December 1959 together with Brother Vittorio.
“Missionary life is truly beautiful!”
When the Mulelist rebellion broke out, the entire South Kivu region was plunged into fear. Even the Christians, they were losing hope. In November 1964, Father John wrote to catechist Pupu Raphaël: “Those who despair do not easily receive God’s mercy. Do not lose momentum! It is in the time of trial that we can rightly witness our faith and our love for God. You see, we fathers are in Fizi. Sure, it is far from home, but God is everywhere and helps all of us. Let’s get up. I don’t think the fathers will go back home. Know this well, rather than return home, the fathers prefer to die in the mission…” This is the testament that Priest John, wrote to his faithful loved ones. This letter arrived 20 days later in Fizi and the same leader who had just killed the two missionaries in Baraka, around 6 p.m. showed up in front of the Fizi Church and called out loudly to Father Didoné. Father came out and a bullet hit him in the forehead. At 34 he fell to the ground without a cry.
Fr. Albert Joubert, teacher of young people to the end
Albert Joubert was born in Saint Louis de Morumbi-Moba, then Belgian Congo, on Oct. 18, 1908, of a French father who belonged to the Papal Guard and a Congolese mother. Ordained a priest on Oct. 6, 1935 after exercising the apostolate in several parishes and dioceses, by 1958 he was in the territory of the future diocese of Uvira, founded in 1962, and served in Kibanga. He was imprisoned in September 1964 by the Simba and released in Fizi, where he decided to stay and work with Father John instead of fleeing. He reunited students and parents who had not known how to start the school year because of insecurity: “It is in the emptiness of thought that evil is born.” This was the conviction that animated him in educating the youth. He would be killed moments after John.
Serving God: total and unconditional gift
Before his ordination as a deacon in 1935, Fr. Albert took this oath: “I promise with all sincerity to obey always, according to the norms of the Holy Canons, everything that my Superiors will order me to do and that the discipline of the Church will require of me. I am ready to give examples of virtue both by works and words, so that I may receive the Lord’s reward.”
The martyrs of our country, the Democratic Republic of Congo
The history of evangelization in our country has been developing since the late 15th century.
To date, the Congolese Church has had two martyrs : Blessed Anuarite Clementina Nengapeta and Blessed Isidore Bakanja, both from the Diocese of Wamba.
Our diocese, that of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo, will prepare for the beatification of four martyrs, including diocesan priest Fr. Albert Joubert.
The Congolese Church will thus pray for six beatified martyrs and to their intercession we entrust all the Congolese people who are so tried.