March 25, 2002
Annunciation of Mary

Dearest Confrères,

The first visitation to the "little-big" Congo-Kinshasa Delegation was an extraordinary event in itself: it occurred after the annual meeting of the Superiors of Africa and after the ordination of two of our students to the diaconate. Moreover it was the first time the visitation has been conducted by the vice-Superior General. The Superior Delegate described it as a "moment of grace and growth" and invited Delegation members to prepare for it and experience it intensely. Then something unforeseen forced us to change our plans. Father Bellagamba's knee infection obliged him to return to Rome immediately after the meeting of superiors in Kinshasa. The visitation was postponed. Fortunately Father Bellagamba's health improved rapidly and he was able to return and carry out the visitation before the March General Council meeting.
At the beginning of this letter Father Louro N. and I would like to thank you for your patience and for the fraternal welcome and collaboration you have given us while we worked among you. Our special thanks to Father Camerlengo S. who accompanied us and attended all the community meetings with us.
Following the scheme set out by the Superior Delegate in his letter introducing the visitation we would like to consider what he refers to as a "moments of grace", that is, things that work well in your Delegation - and "moments of growth", that is, things that require study, change and improvement. In general we must tell you that the Delegation impressed us: it is lively and organized; it takes the task of forming future Consolata missionaries seriously; it is candid about its strengths and weaknesses and it is eager to make improvement that follow the directives of the Chapter and meet local needs.

1. SITUATIONS THAT INFLUENCE OUR PRESENCE IN KINSHASA

To understand what your Delegation is trying to accomplish one must understand what is happening in Kinshasa, the seat of the central government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the Church is flourishing at present. The Conference described your work and we would add some elements that emerged later to that description.
Congo is going through a very difficult time - it is divided into two parts; in the north war, with all its usual disastrous consequences , breaks out periodically - it produces widespread destitution and undermines human values. There is both light and shadow in the general picture.

Shadow

- Social tensions because of the ongoing war.
- The state does little for health, education and transportation.
- Social Justice and fundamental human rights are abused - arbitrary arrest, illegal detention, the triumph of might over right.
- Devaluation of currency, rising prices, salaries insufficient to maintain families, precarious subsistence economy, widespread unemployment.
- Corruption on all levels, swindles and crimes against property.
- Loss of traditional values: solidarity, respect for authority, respect for life and the possessions of the community.
- Deterioration of the family, crisis in the institution of matrimony, divorce, abandoned children, lack for future prospects for young people.
- Magic understanding of life - waiting for a miracle to change life, proliferation of sects, religious syncretism.
- The Church is not self-supporting, it depends on contributions from abroad which severely limits its activity.

Light

- Rebirth of genuine patriotism, solidarity and national unity.
- A firm will to become self-supporting and autonomous.
- People clearly understand that they are the strength of the nation.
- Birth of movements that reflect politically on what is happening in the country and the world.
- A spirit of making-do, a joy in living and hope for a better future.
- A burning desire for justice and peace supported by a rediscovery of prayer.
- Formation of Christian community involved in the real world, especially the CEVB - Base Communities.
- Abundance of vocations - probably the most numerous in the African Church.
This situation gives rise to many questions: what method should we use in our work? what model of development ought we to follow? what kind of formation should we provide? what pastoral programs should the Institute organize to be effective in its work?
The Delegation Conference attempted to answer these questions. The canonical visitation was interested in seeing if the goals set in the Conference had been achieved and what were the results.

2. DELEGATION PROGRESS SINCE THE CHAPTER

One of the first acts of the present General Government was to divide the Congo Region into two circumscriptions: the Congo-Isiro Region and the Congo-Kinshasa Delegation. This was done because of the war and after consultation with the Regional Superior and vice-Superior of Congo at the Chapter. Since that time you have worked with great intensity to organize your Delegation, to provide simple but adequate structures and a style of leadership that was both expeditious and effective.
The Delegation Superior and his council have created a specific sense of identity and enormous enthusiasm in the Delegation. They have organized adequate seminaries with formation teams; they have launched a program of mission promotion and have improved ongoing vocation work. They have made choices of apostolate quickly and effectively and have begun to dream of establishing other possible IMC communities. The fact that the Superior and his council reside in Kinshasa makes a quick response possible for those problems and situations that require immediate attention. Living in Kinshasa has helped to make them better known in the city and able to take an active part in the discussions and decisions of the local Church.
The Delegation has implemented several parts of the Conference plan and it hopes to overcome resistance and achieve all the goals set out in the plan within the next three years. All of this causes us joy and pride in you and in your work. We would remind you that the two circumscriptions were created because of the war and the impossibility of communication - once this tragic situation is ended the Region should be reunited.
In any event there is one fact that links you intimately to your Isiro confrères - the three seminaries. You welcome young people for both the Delegation and the Region. You are therefore responsible before the Institute, the Delegation and the Northern Region for the seminary formation of these young people. We urge you to continue close contact with the Northern Region in general - but especially with regard to formation. Keep it informed of everything you are doing in this area. Let it share in the important decisions you make and look upon its advice as substantive - not just consultative.

3. YOUR COMMUNITY

We have lived with you in your houses, prayed with you and shared so many things that have made us understand how well structured your communities are; how one feels himself a brother among brothers; how one can share dreams, correct each other and become signs to each other of that ideal community that may not yet exist but which attracts and draws us constantly forward. As you say in the Acts of your Conference: "Promoting the quality of our life is fundamental."

The spiritual life of your communities

In general we have noted a desire for perfection, a desire to make God the center of your lives; to live in union with God and to do His will whatever the cost. Praying together at least once a day is an expression of this thirst for God and the supernatural. The majority of your communities prays together twice a day; some pray with the Christian community.
Following the teaching of the last General Chapter on this subject, we urge you to "have a strong sense of God, of His presence in ourselves and in others; seek Him and His Will continually. Emphasis on God makes us able to love the world with His heart. With the God of Jesus Christ in the first place there is much room for our brothers. Only the man of God is genuinely a man for others" (Acts of the Chapter 99, p. 30).
In line with this demand we urge each one to take to heart the rhythm of prayer recommended by the Constitutions and to be faithful in all its aspects; devote all the necessary time to this practice without fear of harming the apostolate. Further we would ask the communities of the Delegation to include two daily sessions of prayer in their Community Project of Life; Superiors should motivate their confrères to take part in these prayers.
We would insist on the celebration of the sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance. Celebrate your daily masses with simplicity but with the dignity appropriate for the divine mysteries: this is one of our specific characteristics. The Sunday eucharistic celebration should be lived in union with the people - it should fit in with their understanding and maturity.
A word about the frequency of the sacrament of penance. Our ministry places us in constant contact with the world, with people of every class, political tendency and economic category; our values are constantly subjected to negative influences that gradually secularize our life; the ideals of holiness and perfection begin to fade away. To feel renewed and to keep our ideals alive we must purify ourselves frequently. One way to assure this purification is confession - it will give us the strength to continue our journey with enthusiasm and conviction.
We conclude our thoughts on this subject with the reminder that each one must look after his own spiritual formation. Our life in the Spirit is always growing. We must strive to become ever more like Christ and to act as He would act. The missionary must find time every day - or at least several times a week - to be intimate with Christ, to pray, read, meditate, to prepare homilies, encounters and all the other activities of an apostolic life.

Community Life

Your Conference emphasized the importance of community life and prepared a serious program for its promotion (Cf. Actes, pp. 6-8). Community life is not easy for anyone; it requires a constant effort to live it fully, to experience its beauty and to appreciate its role in creating religious and missionary communities. The Tenth General Chapter laid special stress on this value (Cf. Acts, pp. 32-35), and articulated working guidelines to promote and live community life in ways that correspond to the spirit of the Founder, the needs of our international situation and our intention to collaborate with other workers in the apostolate.
We admire the commitment and sacrifice with which you strive to live out this dimension of our consecration. Your communities are beacons of fraternal love. Even confrères who are only passing through feel themselves welcome and at home in your midst. Your hospitality and fraternal assistance extend to other congregations, to lay people who work in the city and to volunteers who come to share your missionary experience.
All of your communities are international and it is worth noting that you find no particular difficulty in living this value. We can only hope that this characteristic will mark those new communities that arise in the future. This is a value that enriches the community, strengthens its life and becomes a prophetic sign of the possibility of peaceful and harmonious coexistence in a world of selfishness and the will to dominate. Internationalism fosters the inculturation of the charism. This is a challenge that must be met with seriousness and conviction; it must be handled with dialogue and encounter between our African confrères and those who come from other continents.
You are a small group - only some fifteen perpetual professed - and you live only a short distance from one another. Geographic and social conditions make it possible for you to live the common life described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts, 2 and 4). This is a model of life Allamano dreamed of for his missionaries: saints, brothers, devoted to the mission together, open to the Spirit, to the Church and to the world.
The poverty you display in your belongings, in your houses, in your clothing and in the tools you use is really exemplary. Continue to cultivate this virtue; it is an essential aspect of your vocation and a sign of credibility for work among the poor.
We noted that your relations with people are good and that you treat your personnel well. Still we are aware of the harmful consequences that can derive from not treating everyone impartially, from showing favoritism or becoming improperly attached to individuals. Favoritism and giving special privileges to certain people have created unfortunate situations for missionaries, the community and the Institute.
Finally with regard to relations with our friends and family members - while affirming that our family spirit moves us to show affection and gratitude to those linked to us by blood and friendship, we must make sure that these personal relations never become an obstacle to carrying out community pastoral commitments.

4. YOUR COMMITMENTS

Formation

Your primary commitment is the formation of young men consecrated to the missions in our Institute. In his letter introducing the canonical visitation the Superior Delegate calls it: "a priority option requiring an enormous commitment of personnel and resources" for the Delegation (p. 3). The Acts of the Conference further state "our Delegation is characterized by the presence of seminaries. For us this is a grace from God, a gift for the missions and a challenge for our faith. We feel the need to follow the formation process closely. Formation is a responsibility all missionaries share." (Actes, p. 10). At the end of this visitation we would remind you once more that seminaries are a gift of God who is providing vocations for the Institute; seminaries are a blessing for all of us - they keep us mindful of the enthusiastic early days of our own religious and missionary vocation; at the same time they are a challenge - all of us are responsible for formation, not just those directly involved.
We recognize that the Delegation has done everything possible to meet this challenge. It has created a team for the philosophy seminary and for the preparatory seminary; it is in the process of creating a similar team for the theology seminary. It has sent a priest away to study philosophy to guarantee our presence in that area and has agreed to send another priest to be a professor at the Mazenod Theological Institute.
Do our confrères display any interest in the theology seminary? In response to this direct question the professed members of the Delegation affirmed that they visit the seminary, they believe the students feel a part of the Delegation and they share many activities in common. This presence helps the students identify with the Institute and fosters that sense of belonging which is the source of fraternity. Visiting the seminaries and attending their professions and ordinations is a duty for older brothers. The young brothers look up to them as examples of what they are being taught and what they hope to be in the future.The formation process follows the Ratio Formationis and seems balanced to us. There is a Formation Directory for the philosophy course but none exists as yet for the theology course. This situation should be remedied as soon as possible. A Formation Directory for the theology course would clarify objectives, ensure continuity and provide specific assistance to those involved in formation.
While formation is a responsibility shared by all members of the Delegation - it is the particular responsibility for those who are directly involved in this work full-time. We found them to be happy, cheerful and dedicated. They feel they are supported by the Superior Delegate and by their confrères. Their presence in the seminaries is one of the most important factors in the formation of young people. For this reason it is necessary to limit outside activities that may be important but take time away from their total dedication to formation.
At the end of the school year an evaluation of the "propaedeutic" course would be a good idea. This activity was born in the parishes and initially involved the occasional supervision of someone from the philosophy formation team. The Fathers provided some instruction but for the most part everything was left up to the young people involved. This year, because of the increased number of students, you have moved the "propaedeutic" course to the philosophy seminary and appointed someone to be directly responsible but not full-time. It is necessary to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this arrangement and to discuss the criteria formulated by the Office of Basic Formation in formation meetings to determine which of the two models you prefer.Those responsible for formation consider the proposal of the Chapter, repeated by the Office of Basic Formation, important: offer theology students short courses on formation, Mission, etc. and if possible increase efforts to provide our students with the broadest possible formation.The Superior Delegate presents other challenges to formation when he writes "we must achieve poverty assumed and lived as a choice of love and solidarity; we must work for a greater commitment of the community as the new family; we must do more to involve the families of our seminarians in the process of formation and teach them to contribute financially to the education of their sons; we must be committed to the process of inculturating formation and the IMC charism; we must help young people to live the pastoral experience as a moment of formation, a part of the formative process" (p. 3). The visitors hope that these aspects will be studied and put into practice.
To the aspects described in the previous paragraph we would add two more. The first concerns the spiritual formation of students. The Founder, admittedly in another context, praised the Motherhouse Community where everything proceeded like clockwork but he also noted: "I am afraid that the habit of not doing what one is obliged to do is spreading …" We must learn "the spirit of …" which was so dear to him. In the final analysis we must learn that God is absolute - something we referred to earlier in this letter.
The second aspect concerns the "missionary dimension" that should be characteristic of the formation community. The community is conceived of and organized for Mission. Mission must form the community and imprint its mark upon it; Mission must create a special life-style for the individual and the community as a whole.

Pastoral Work

Pastoral work is another characteristic of the Delegation. The number of personnel involved and the amount of money devoted to it make it easy to see the importance pastoral work occupies in your circumscription. Eight missionaries are engaged in this work full-time and the Delegation is spending a considerable amount of money in this area. It is work well done. Bishops, local priests and parishioners have nothing but praise for your activity in the Archdiocese of Kinshasa and the Diocese of Kisantu. The parish of St. Mukasa is a model of profound and holistic evangelization; the faithful are moved to missionary action in the parish. Good pastoral teams and the positive response of the faithful have facilitated this work.
The new parish of Saint-Hilaire will be organized on the same principles and is likely to produce excellent apostolic results in the near future. People are enthusiastic and eager to collaborate and the Delegation hopes to provide a good work team. The Mater Dei parish has always had ups and downs, good times and bad times in its leadership; those aspects that make success difficult are immediately apparent: it is in the countryside, a remote and marginal location with respect to the city; parishioners are slow to respond and show little interest; lay leadership is limited and there is little room for choice. The determination of the present team of missionaries to develop organized and improved pastoral work with renewed methods and spirit gives us some reason to hope for the future.
Everyone directly involved in pastoral work, everyone engaged in this work only occasionally and students just beginning pastoral work must take into careful consideration aspects mentioned in both your Conference and the report of your Delegate (Cf. Actes, pp.12-14, and Cf. Report, pp. 3-4). We join in proposing that you make these topics the subject of reflection, formation and review in your community meetings.
Among the essential requirements of effective pastoral work is the ability to work with lay people in making decisions and organizing the parish. This is done through the Pastoral Council. We must overcome our individualism and the temptation to run the whole thing ourselves. From this perspective it is vital that we learn to respect the contribution lay people can make to the planning and execution of parish projects. We must prepare lay people to accept those responsibilities that are properly theirs - especially the financial administration of the parish. Our last two General Chapters have roundly condemned the spirit of rugged individualism - believing that by acting on our own we can accomplish more.
Try to develop projects that can be carried out by the diocesan clergy with the help of the faithful. Don't saddle those who follow you with unbearable and unmanageable burdens.
Missionaries working in the parishes entrusted to us should be open and provide pastoral work for our students. They should assist and encourage them even if at times the quality of their work is not everything they might have hoped for.
Currently the Institute is working in formation and the parish apostolate in Kinshasa - would it be possible to engage in some new activity linked to mission and vocation promotion? to justice and peace? This new work might be more in line with our missionary charism. In the report for the visitation we were pleased to read that you intend "to study the possibility of engaging in other, diverse works of consolation - parish work of another sort," and further "to study the possibility of new openings more in line with the modern concept of missio ad gentes set forth in the last General Chapter" (p. 4). We would remind you that these things can be done only if there is sufficient personnel and if you give up some of your current pastoral engagements.

Mission and vocation promotion

The flow of people knocking at our door and asking to be admitted to our seminaries is flattering and remains constant. For this reason you are contemplating the possibility of enlarging the current facilities. Regarding this situation we would remind you of the importance of providing serious and adequate assistance to young people discerning their vocation, ascertaining the authenticity of their motivation and offering them direction while at home and in the "propaedeutic" preparatory course before they enter the seminaries. It would be a good thing for the Delegation together with the Northern Region to update and improve the criteria for admission.
With regard to mission promotion - the plan to dedicate one person full-time to this activity is praiseworthy but hard to accomplish. We were pleased to note that the work done up to now by the committee in charge is not to be underestimated. Your periodic publication Coko Cokoriko is an attempt to engage the families of our missionaries and our friends. It could be the precursor of the sort of newsletter other circumscriptions publish. Is an adaptation of the Canadian periodical Réveil Missionnaire for use in Congo worth looking into? Would it be a good idea to publish a common periodical for all the territories where French is spoken?
In our parishes all pastoral work and the whole process of Christian formation must be marked with the missionary spirit. In line with our charism the Mater Dei parish is being restructured to become a genuine Marian sanctuary. Once this project is completed the parish could become a center for mission promotion run by an adequate work-team.

Commitment for justice and peace

The last General Chapter strongly recommended that we involve all our resources - local, national and international - in the work of Justice and Peace (Cf. Actes, pp. 49-50, 51-56). We must see it as an integral part of our charism of consolation. There is a Justice and Peace commission in your Delegation but it has remained inactive. In line with the Chapter's mandate (Cf. Actes, p. 50) it must become active as soon as possible. In an increasingly impoverished country, where human rights are trod underfoot and the poor have no voice, we missionaries "with a critical and evangelical conscience, must become the voice of all who are excluded; it is up to us to make their voices heard" (Actes, p. 53).
We must assume this new dimension of Mission with courage and commitment; we must collaborate with local and international agencies to make a qualitative improvement in people's living conditions; we must provide hope for future generations of young people; we must bring comfort and consolation to the abandoned. The idea of putting the next Superior Delegate in charge of mission and vocation promotion along with justice and peace projects should be studied closely. Your group's missionary work could have greater impact on the Congolese Church and society.

Finances

You manifested a certain uneasiness due to the fact that you depend entirely on financial assistance from the General Administration to support and maintain your formation, pastoral and social work. We praise your efforts to find alternative, local solutions to this problem - but we believe it would be difficult, if not impossible, in the current situation of poverty and destitution.
We invite you to join with us in thanking Providence and the benefactors thanks to whom we never lack what is necessary and even have something to share with the poor. We would remind you of the following:
a) "We have chosen to be poor because Jesus was poor and the greater part of humanity is poor. The mission would be impossible if we were not "for" and "with" the poor. Poverty is the premise for a sober life-style which makes possible solidarity and closeness to people" (Acts of the Chapter 99, p. 32).
b) The poverty in which you live prompts you to educate people in your parish communities to do something to escape from chronic dependence and to practice solidarity.
c) Your Delegation Conference has proposed certain small projects to be presented to national and international institutions with the approval of the Bishop and the Superior Delegate. To the extent that it is possible you should involve those who will benefit from these projects in this work from the very beginning. This way they will grow and feel a sense of ownership. They will overcome the suspicion that they are being tricked and they will learn how to develop small sources of income.
d) We are aware of your legitimate concerns regarding administration. The proper administration of finances is an act of justice towards benefactors, the Institute and those for whom money is destined. You have not yet achieved this goal in your individual communities and are concerned about the future. It is unrealistic to await the arrival of trained accountants. To guarantee competent, transparent and updated bookkeeping you must train one of the members of your community. This individual should make a thorough inventory of property on hand and maintain a clear distinction between what belongs to the parish and what is the property of the IMC community. The Delegation is grateful to Brother Paolo Ferrari for the precious service he has provided for so many years in this area. It would be a good idea to provide him with an assistant bookkeeper - if necessary a layman - who could take care of accounting for all the communities. In the interest of providing at least minimum information to everyone on how to keep books and prepare monthly, quarterly and annual budgets, you could invite the General Treasurer to come and give a seminar that would be open to all, including theology students.

5. CONCLUSION

In the last Mass we celebrated with the theology students and some of the fathers two invitations were addressed to us:
The first came from the book of Deuteronomy: "I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster … I set before you life and death, blessing or curse: choose life" (Dt. 30,15-20). In a country where death reigns supreme because of war, violence and destruction and where life sacred, until a short time ago, is not respected - not even the life of children who are abandoned, abused and forgotten … the invitation to choose life is of capital importance. To choose life does not simply mean "to live, not to die;" it means to live the fullness of life with all those qualities with which the Creator has endowed it.
"I have come so as you may have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10,10): physical life with all its needs - food, shelter, clothing, work and a just salary. Intellectual life with all its needs - education, the chance to go to school, to develop the potential of one's mind. Psychic life with its needs - family affection, personal respect, respect for the individual. Moral life - the need for liberty and the ability to make personal choices without external constraint. Spiritual life - freedom of religion, respect for God and religion, the possibility to grow in the love of God and of the one He has sent, Jesus. Political and economic life - cessation of injustice, corruption, the impoverishment of the country by outsiders; peace among the various factions; sovereignty over the land and its riches; the cessation of the abuse of your country by other, stronger nations for their own enrichment. Dear missionaries, choose life and the prosperity of the people in all its manifestations as our Founder taught us in accord with our own missionary tradition.
The second invitation came in the Gospel of Luke which warns us that we, like Jesus, must "suffer much, be condemned and put to death" (Luke 9,22) and that we must "deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him" (Luke 9, 23). These words of Jesus invite us to choose life by accepting a partial death, the sacrifice of ourselves, of our negative inclinations, of all that we do that does not conform to Him. This is not masochistic or self-destructive, rather it is that we might "rise" and "save our own life." Sacrifice has always been - and will be in the future - the missionary's companion. According to Christian logic, life begins with sacrifice; full life comes after death and resurrection - after the Cross.
These thoughts we shared with you during the visitation, thoughts echoed in the Lenten liturgy. Our invitation is the same we extended during our meetings and which is voiced in the liturgy today: let us choose life and love the Lord, placing God at the center of our lives, unique and essential; let us follow our Constitutions and the best traditions of our Institute. We accept whatever God may send our way so that our spirit will remain pure and our ministry will conform to His will, the signs of the times and the needs of our brothers.
May the Consolata, who bore the life of God in her womb, be a source of consolation for all; may she help us follow her example and be evermore bearers of that life which creates joy and hope.

Father Antonio Bellagamba, IMC
Vice-Superior General
Father Norberto Louro, IMC
Continental Councilor for Africa