25 January 2026 will remain engraved in the memory of the Christian community of Kikonka. On this day, marked by the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul and by the Calasanzian Day, two sons of the Church, Cédric Mbembe and Henri Mwanangulu, were ordained priests, responding to the call of Christ and to the mission entrusted by the Church.
The ceremony took place in the parish church of Saint Peter of Kikonka, in an atmosphere of fervour and joy. Surrounded by their families, friends, faithful and religious coming from various parishes, the ordinands received the laying on of hands and the consecratory prayer from Mons. Pedro Aguado, Sch. P., former Father General of the Order and current Bishop of Huesca and Jaca (Spain), as a sign of their definitive incorporation into the priestly ministry.
The liturgical chants, traditional dances and fervent prayers gave the celebration a character that was both solemn and festive, reflecting the spiritual and cultural richness of the community.
Indeed, through their priestly ordination —the sacrament by which the Church entrusts them with the mission of serving the People of God through the celebration of the sacraments, especially the Eucharist; the proclamation of the Word of God; and the spiritual accompaniment of the faithful— Frs Mbembe and Mwanangulu commit themselves to being shepherds according to the heart of Christ, available to guide and support the community, particularly the children and young people of our schools and parishes.
In a context in which young people often face many challenges, these ordinations represent for our Vicariate a sign of hope and vitality for the local Church. They remind us that God continues to call, and that there are men who respond generously by offering their lives in the service of others.
Our Vicariate of Congo, proud of its new priests, sees in them instruments of peace, reconciliation and spiritual growth, and in a particular way instruments for the education of the youngest in piety and learning.
25 January 2026 in Kikonka was not merely a liturgical date, but a true turning point. The ordinations of Fr Cédric Mbembe and Fr Henri Mwanangulu mark a new stage in the Piarist mission in the DRC: educating children and young people, proclaiming the Gospel and contributing to the transformation of society.
Fr Serge Akoumou, Sch. P.
