Sixteen new entries to the Novitiate of Lubumbashi (DRC)
Province of St. Benedict the African
22 September 2025During the Eucharistic celebration on the 20th September, 2025, in memory of Saints Andrew Kim, Paul Chong and companions, sixteen novices were admitted to the novitiate of "Our Lady of the Angels" in Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The canonical and official rite of entry into the novitiate, presided over by Br. Georges Misange, OFM, Minister of the Province of St. Benedict the African, took place in the presence of the formation team of the novitiate and some professed members.
Indeed, beginning with the reading of the day - the parable of the sower - the Minister Provincial, in his exhortation, emphasized several points, such as the generosity of those who sow widely, without calculations. God calls despite our fragility, our stories, our contexts, sometimes marked by the wounds of our country. Speaking of stones, thorns and the roadside, the Minister Provincial emphasized that these are all realities that can threaten the journey of novices: superficiality, discouragement, the temptation to close in on oneself, tribal divisions and the search for comfort. He then reminded them to cultivate a deep, grounded, free, and open heart, as well as patience and perseverance. He also recalled that the novitiate is a time of interior formation in which one must learn to pray, fraternal life, the spirit of poverty, love for the Gospel and openness to the poorest. In this way, the novice must be a sign of hope for the Church and society, becoming a seed of peace and reconciliation.
After the ceremony, the sixteen novices, from different regions, and in particular those who had completed the postulancy in Bukavu, the area occupied by the rebels, expressed their joy and expectations. Their journey to Lubumbashi was not easy, given the distance and the security situation in the country. During the shared meal, the Minister Provincial read a letter from the Minister General addressed to the novices, in which he invited them to:
- Deepen their personal relationship with the Lord through contemplative prayer, listening to the Word and Eucharistic Adoration. To let Christ speak to one's heart in solitude and silence.
- Gradually assume the vocational identity of the Friars Minor, following in the footsteps of Francis, "the Poor Man" who became last amongst the last.
- To live authentically in fraternity, experiencing communion, a visible sign of Trinitarian love. Be patient with others, welcoming in diversity, generous in forgiveness.
- Embrace the simplicity of life that characterizes our charism.
Br. Patient Ilunga, OFM, Master of Novices
