(Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo) – The Redemptorists of the Vice Province of Matadi gathered together from 12 to 16 March 2018, at a general assembly held in Kola and focused on two main objectives: the election of a new Vice-Provincial Council and the presentation of the message and decisions of the 25th General Chapter held in Pattaya, Thailand. For this, the Vice Province was honored with the visit of the Rev. Frs. Pedro LÓPEZ and Nicolás AYUBA, General Consultors; and of the Rev. Frs. Jan HAFMANS and Ludger WOLFENT, respectively Provincial and Provincial Vicar, and Mr. Joseph the translator of the entire Province of San Clemente to which the Vice Province of Matadi is affiliated.
The first day was dedicated specifically to the elections of a new Vice-Provincial Council. Rev. Fr. Jean-Robert DIYABANZA was elected Vice-Provincial Superior; Rev. Fr. Moïse BAGONDA, Vicar and 1st Vice-Provincial Councillor. Without being re-elected on this occasion, Rev. Fr. Hubert NGUAMU retained his office as 2nd Councillor to form the Ordinary Council with the previous two. To fill the vacancy in the post of extraordinary councillor left by Rev. Fr. Moses BAGONDA, who was elected Vice Provincial Vicar, it was necessary to elect another extraordinary councillor and it was Rev. Br. Nicaise MUNDURAME who responded to the required criteria. Father Adrien LUTETE, meanwhile, maintained his position as extraordinary councillor.
The second day was the day of retreat, focused on the presentation of the objectives of the extraordinary visit. The theme of the retreat was the same as that of the theme of the six-year term of the General Government: “Witnesses of the Redeemer, Solidarity for the mission in a wounded world” and followed by the retreat was the presentation of the Message of the 25th General Chapter and the Plan of Action of the General Government. The objectives of this visit were to socialize the message and the decisions of the 25th General Chapter to ensure a deeper understanding of the process of restructuring and to create awareness for a determined commitment of each confrere to the restructuring.
On the third day of the Assembly, the Consultors tried to explain the decisions of the 25th General Chapter. These decisions were based mainly on restructuring, the Mission, the Apostolic Community, formation in the apostolic community and the Apostolic Government.
On the fourth day, the consultors explained Communicanda No. 1, about the Apostolic Plan. This Communicanda addresses the restructuring process, the missionary, apostolic and fundamental priorities, the criteria for the Apostolic Plan and for the restructuring process, and the Conference Commission for the Apostolic Plan and Restructuring. On the fifth and last day of the visit, the consultors presented the proposals-decisions of COREAM. These are divided into four sections: the apostolic and administrative dimension, community life and consecrated life, formation and leadership and government.
At the end of this Vice-Provincial Assembly, marked by the extraordinary visit of the general consultors (Pedro López and Nicolas Ayuba) and the Provincial authorities (Jan Hafmans and Ludger WOLFENT), the Redemptorists members of the Vice Province of Matadi frankly expressed their satisfaction and gratitude to our visitors for the task of familiarizing the decisions of the 25th General Chapter. The confreres have expressed the desire that these visits should be continued specially to see that their decisions bear fruit and fruits may remain. Through the work of the groups carried out almost every day, the brothers felt involved in this noble work of dissemination and knowledge of the decisions of the 25th General Chapter. All these took place in view of a spiritual and missionary renewal of the Redemptorists of the world in general and the Vice Province of Matadi in particular.
Rev.Fr. Jean-Robert DIYABANZA
