In this year 2026, in place of Father General Carles Gil i Saguer, Fr Félicien Mouendji (General Assistant for Africa) carried out a canonical visitation in the Piarist Vicariate of Congo. This visitation, which took place from 8 to 16 March, led Fr Félicien in turn to the communities of Kikonka, Mont-Ngafula and Gulf (Manenga).
In Kikonka there are two houses of formation (the pre-novitiate and the novitiate), close to one another yet separate from each other. The novitiate has two formators, five novices and one trainee, while the pre-novitiate has three formators, one trainee, six second-year pre-novices and four first-year pre-novices. These two houses of formation collaborate with each other and also with other congregations that send their students there to attend classes. This collaboration has given rise to a kind of study centre. The classes are taught by religious men and women, diocesan priests and lay people.
The presence in Kikonka has given rise to three schools: the Collège Saint Joseph, now in its first year of operation; the École Primaire Saint Joseph; and the École Primaire et Maternelle Saint Joseph Calasanz. These institutions make our charism visible and enable religious and lay people to exercise our ministry.
The Scholasticate of Mont-Ngafula is located in the city of Kinshasa, but territorially it belongs to the Diocese of Kisantu. The scholasticate has three formators, eleven scholastics, one aspirant and one seminarian from the Diocese of Kisantu. The scholastics pursue their studies in philosophy and theology at the UCC (Catholic University of Congo).
The community of Gulf (Kinshasa) is made up of five fathers, two trainees and one aspirant. They are responsible for a secondary school, a primary and nursery school, and a parish. The community is fully engaged in the school and in the parish. It should be noted that the parish church of Saint Jude is still under construction. The works are progressing well: the main structural work has already been completed. It was in this church, in fact, that Fr Henri Mwanangulu celebrated his first Mass on Sunday, 15 March 2026, before nearly 500 faithful.
