Father Néstor Gómez, CM, Superior of the Seminaire Saint Vincent de Paul in the region of Rwanda-Burundi writes…
My Dear Confreres:
[1] From February 7th-13th we gave a course on Vincentian spirituality to the Sisters of Saint Vincent de Paul of Roeselare who are ministering in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
[2] On March 18th we gave a spiritual retreat in our house in Gahogo, the interprovincial Internal Seminary of Kabgayi, Rwanda.
[3] During Holy Week all the confreres participated in the popular missions during which the Paschal Mystery was celebrated … these missions took place in various places and Father Ignacio Ninco accompanied the communities at the time of the introductory phase. In Nembra there were six priests, two deacons, three seminarists and an impressive number of catechists and committed lay persons.
[4] In the parish in Rwisabi (Burundi) over four hundred eighty persons (adults and children) were baptized on Easter Sunday.
[5] The confreres in Burundi expressed their solidarity with the members of the Pygmy community whose land had been flooded and as a result their crops were destroyed at the beginning of the year. The confreres expressed their solidarity by providing the victims of those floods with seeds which enabled them to plant beans.
[6] In Kiguhu, four Daughters of Charity renewed their vows for the first time in this new local community in the southern part of Burundi. This community was established there in 2016 in the midst of a political crisis … a sign of admirable love for the poor.
[7] From April 5-8 the Conference of Visitors from Africa and Madagascar (COVIAM) met in Maputo, Mozambique. Much time was spent discussing the common theologate that had been established for Africa and Madagascar in Enugu, Nigeria. This program was begun in October 2015 but there is need to draw up a contract between the members of COVIAM and the Province and Nigeria as well as a need to formulate a specific Vincentian formation plan.
[8] During the first week of April our house in Gahogo, Rwanda had to replace its roof which at the present time is composed of corrugated fiber cement sheeting. That type of roof has been deemed a health hazard and a rather detailed protocol has to be followed: written permission from the government must first be obtained, a supervisor must be on site, workers must be provided with gloves, masks, special clothing which must be burned when the work is concluded. The previous tiles must be wrapped to tarps and transported in closed boxcars and then buried (Translator’s note: I wonder if this is not some form of asbestos tiling?).
Thank you for this opportunity to share with you this information and with Pope Francis may we sing during this Easter Season the words of Psalm 135:
God’s loves is everlasting!
Sincerely,
Father Néstor Gómez, CM
