In an atmosphere of deep thanksgiving and hope for the Piarist mission, the Vicariate of Congo celebrated on Sunday, 25 January 2026, the priestly ordination of the then deacons Henri Mwanangulu and Cédric Mbembe. The celebration took place in the parish of Saint Peter of Kikonka, providentially coinciding with the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul and within the framework of the Calasanzian Day, an eloquent sign of communion with the charism of Saint Joseph Calasanz and of renewed commitment to the evangelising and educational mission of the Pious Schools.
The ordination Eucharist was presided over by H.E.R. Mons. Pedro Aguado Cuesta, Sch. P., Piarist Bishop of the dioceses of Huesca and Jaca, accompanied by H.E.R. Mons. Jean Crispin, Bishop of Kisantu, together with a significant presence of Piarist priests of the Vicariate, including the Major Superior, Very Rev. Fr Pierre Diatta, Sch. P., as well as other priests, religious men and women of the Calasanzian family. The faithful of the parish, along with family members and friends of the candidates, also joined a large assembly that expressed with gratitude the joy of the local Church for the gift of two new priests.
During the homily, Fr Pedro, the ordaining bishop, highlighted three spiritual accents that shaped the tone of the celebration. First, he emphasised the centrality of Christ as the foundation and axis of the priest’s life: the priest is called to live from Him, with Him and for Him, allowing his entire existence to be configured as service. Secondly, he invited the ordinands to safeguard what he called the “secret” of vocation: cultivating an attitude of sonship, an inner disposition similar to that of the child in the Gospel, a necessary condition for living self-giving with truth, availability and trust. Finally, he insisted on humility as an indispensable path for sustaining a fruitful ministerial life, free from protagonism and open to the action of God.
These key points, recalled in the context of a Piarist ordination, resonated as an invitation to exercise the priestly ministry in evangelical simplicity and in fidelity to the specific vocation of the Pious Schools: to serve the Church, to educate, to proclaim the Gospel and to accompany the smallest and the poorest.
The newly ordained priest Henri Mwanangulu shared with SCOLOPI that this moment is marked by gratitude and deep emotion. He expressed the profound joy of seeing fulfilled a longing that had accompanied him since childhood, acknowledging God’s grace as the origin and support of the path he has travelled. From this experience, he recounted how, in his first Eucharistic celebrations, he intensely experienced the mystery of being an instrument through which grace reaches others.
For his part, Fr Cédric Mbembe also shared with SCOLOPI his experience of priestly ordination, emphasising that it was deeply marked by the celebration presided over by His Excellency Mons. Pedro Aguado. He noted that this moment was above all an occasion to give thanks to the Lord, but also an experience of joy, reflecting the many years of formation lived with patience. From a faith-filled perspective, he stated simply that becoming a priest of Jesus Christ is not a personal merit, but a grace and an expression of God’s own will.
This testimony was complemented by that of Fr Adalbert Fouda, master of Juniors in Congo, who highlighted the unforgettable character of this day for both ordinands and for the entire demarcation. In the homily, he said, three ideas were underlined —Jesus Christ, secret and humility— which point to why Christ must always remain at the centre, and how the “secret” of the Piarist ministry is concretely expressed in service to children, lived with genuine humility. Fr Adalbert also expressed great joy at seeing the Demarcation grow and emphasised that, with serenity and trust, the newly ordained priests Henri and Cédric pronounced their “yes” to God, to the Church and to the Order before a multitude of joyful faithful. For him, this ordination is a clear sign that the Piarist mission is advancing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fr Brian Yuh Womei, Sch. P., Novice Master in Congo, highlighted to SCOLOPI the particularly significant character of this day for the Vicariate and for the Order as a whole: two new priests are joining the presbyterate as the fruit of a vocational process that involves communities, formators, faithful and families, confirming the fruitfulness of the Piarist presence in the country.
The ordination of Frs Henri Mwanangulu and Cédric Mbembe is therefore a cause for thanksgiving and also a call to shared responsibility: to support with closeness and prayer the beginning of their ministry, to foster their serene integration into community life and to accompany with prudence and discernment the unfolding of their first pastoral and educational responsibilities, Fr Brian affirmed.
The Piarist community gives thanks for the participation of the bishops, the Piarist brothers, consecrated persons and the faithful who accompanied the celebration, and entrusts the ministry of the new priests to the intercession of Saint Joseph Calasanz, that they may be shepherds according to the heart of Christ.
Sources: Fr Henri Mwanangulu, Fr Cédric Mbembe, Fr Adalbert Fouda and Fr Brian Womei.
