The Visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Concludes

Asher Kaufman, at 18, set out on June 28 for a yearlong trip to help spread the Children's Rosary in Europe and Africa. He spent the months of July, August and the first two weeks in September in France. He arrived in Uganda on September 15. From Uganda he traveled by car to Rwanda on September 28. After a week in Rwanda there was once more a return for more travel in Uganda. On October 11 he arrived in Tanzania and on October 26 traveled to Kenya. A visit for three weeks to Madagascar followed on November 7 and then South Africa. He spent several weeks in Cameroon. His journey has now led him to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

On the Friday after my return from Kisantu, I was given a rather important meeting at the chancery of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa. I was to meet Fr. Alois Kondo, the priest in charge of pastoral affairs for the archdiocese. It was his secretary with whom I had spoken the first time I visited the chancery.

The question, however, was how to get to that part of town in time for the 10:00 a.m. meeting. Kinshasa is an immense city, and this time Fr. Apollinaire was not available to drive me. One of the young men from the formation house at which I am staying volunteered to accompany me to the offices; we would take the motorcycle taxis which are so proliferous on every street and alley. The motorcycle taxis, which I came to know as boda bodas in Uganda, are quite renowned, or perhaps I should say notorious, for their cheap prices and highly questionable safety standards. When I was in Uganda it was not at all surprising to see three or even four people riding on a boda boda. One time I recall seeing five people all crammed on one motorcycle. This is because the driver will pick someone up at a stop, set a price with them, and set off for the requested destination; then, someone else might hail them down, and if they are going in the same direction, hop on as well, and so it goes on. In general, helmets are not worn since with passengers getting on and off so frequently, it is rendered quite impossible. Nevertheless, accidents do happen. I remember being at Fr. Alex Musoke’s parish in Mutukula and seeing a young man at Mass who was paralyzed from his waist downwards after he had been hit from behind by a car while riding a boda boda. Further, I learned afterward that on the very same day I traveled to the chancery, the fourteen-year-old daughter of the cook who prepares the meals at Fr. Francois’s residence was involved in a serious accident on her way to school, and her face, arms, and legs were grievously injured with cuts and deep gashes.

However, as I say, there was no other option for getting to the chancery in a timely manner; any four wheeled vehicle would necessarily take at least twice as long due to the traffic.

Riding a taxi motorcycle is in itself a rather exhilarating experience, though the first time in Uganda I found it more terrifying than anything. This was because I had never ridden a motorcycle before. I remember saying to Br. Henry, “Where do I hold on?”

He laughed and responded, “Nowhere! You just sit there!”

At first I was incredulous and insisted on holding tightly on to the underside of the seat, probably more for psychological necessity than for any real safety benefit.

However, the moment that I think must make everyone fall for the boda boda eventually is when one comes upon a long straightaway with few cars or a slowly winding downhill slope; the driver lets the speed climb, the wind whips across your face and through your hair, and you almost feel as though you’re riding on a cloud…

Alas, these moments arrive rather seldom. Instead, most boda boda journeys involve weaving between cars, dodging around craters and bumps in the road, and occasionally getting blasted in the face by a dark cloud of black exhaust from some ancient truck just in front.

It’s advisable to bring a hairbrush and moistened cloth to rearrange one’s hair afterward and wipe off the layer of grit and dirt that accumulates on the front of one’s face (see below).

We arrived at the chancery somewhat late, but Fr. Konde still made time to see us. He was gracious and receptive to the Children’s Rosary, telling me that as soon as he has final approval for the cardinal to start groups, he would let me know but nevertheless permitting us to reach out to and visit priests in the archdiocese to tell them about the Children’s Rosary in anticipation of final approval.

A few days later, I paid a visit to the School of Mother Vincenzia Cusmano; I brought rosaries, and we had a meeting in the chapel of the school campus with interested children to pray the Rosary. It was the first meeting of the Children’s Rosary group there, which will meet weekly. We were able to officially start the group as that school was actually located in the Kisantu diocese, whose bishop had given me approbation already. The sisters were happy with the results of the meeting, and so was I, especially to have a group definitively started after having worked through so many of the preliminary necessities.

That evening, I also had an appointment with the pastor at the Parish of the Blessed Sacrament, one of the biggest and most well-known churches in Kinshasa (parish shown above). The circumstances that led to this meeting were rather curious.

Back when I was a volunteer at La Salette in July, I met a priest named Fr. Mupapat Thadee from the Society of the Blessed Sacrament; as it turned out, he was Congolese but working in France at La Mure, a town not far from La Salette (also the birthplace of St. Peter Julian Eymard, the founder of the order). He was interested in the Children’s Rosary and even came to our informational session in August.

I thought to reach out to him when I arrived in Kinshasa because he was a member of the same order that was putting me up and because he was Congolese. For a few days I received no response; then, about a week later, I received the surprising response that Fr. Thadee was himself in Kinshasa on vacation and that he was assisting in a parish, the Parish of the Blessed Sacrament, run by his order. He had already spoken to the priests there about me and the Children’s Rosary, not even knowing that I was staying at the seminary about 11 kilometers away.

This was great news, and we immediately made plans for me to visit Fr. Thadee at the parish; however, the meeting did not come off due to scheduling difficulties, and by the time I was able to come on Wednesday, Fr. Thadee had already left for France. However, he had already talked extensively to the pastor about the Children’s Rosary such that he was eager to see me and to start a group. This was an amazing development because as I say, this parish is one of the largest in the archdiocese. It has all-day adoration, and the catechism program is so large as to almost be on par with a school; 500 children participate. To start a Children’s Rosary at this parish would be a wonderful grace. We promised to stay in contact regarding when the cardinal gives approval.

The next two days, I had two more important meetings. One was at the school of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.This was the first school I had visited when I arrived in Kinshasa, and it was in the Kisantu diocese. Like we had done previously, we gathered the children (this time four classes) in the chapel and prayed the Rosary together. 

These children were younger than the first group, but I was quite impressed at how devoutly they prayed and how little disturbance they made. This school will be meeting monthly.

On Friday, I again went into downtown Kinshasa, this time to a school for deaf children and those unable to speak. I went to meet with a priest named Fr. Mavakala that a brother in Cameroon had put me in contact with. 

This priest had previously had a parish but now worked exclusively in this school. Since I had been in contact with him, I wanted to have the opportunity to meet him before I left and give him materials in person. He invited me to his office and told me we would stay in contact about the possibilities once the cardinal responds.

That evening I spent some time packing up my bags and preparing for my departure the next day. It had been really quite a remarkable visit to the Congo, though delayed by visa difficulties and logistics planning, it had been actually a spiritually rejuvenating and productive visit.

I said goodbye to Fr. Francois and Fr. Apollinaire as well as everyone at the Blessed Sacrament formation house and prepared for the next leg of my journey.

To see all of Asher's dispatches from his journey click HERE