Commemoration of the 14th anniversary of the kidnapping of the three Assumptionist fathers in Mbau.
A Mass commemorating the fourteenth anniversary of the tragic deaths of Fathers Edmond Kisughu, Jean-Pierre Ndulani, and Anselme Wasukundi of the Notre-Dame-des-Pauvres Parish in Mbau was held on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. These events were originally scheduled for Monday, October 19, 2026, but due to a “Stop Ebola” day declared throughout the province, they were postponed to the following day.
On this same occasion, the Christian faithful commemorated the fourth anniversary of the death of Sister Sylvie Kavuke, a Little Sister of the Presentation (PSP). Reverend Father Kakule Musabingo Achille, delegate of the Provincial Superior, invited the people of God to keep the faith despite the suffering caused by the insecurity in the Beni region and its surroundings.
This day of remembrance began with a procession from Oicha to Mbau. During the procession, the Christian faithful paused for prayer at the Rosa Mistica Grotto in Mbau before concluding at the Mbau parish church. The Eucharistic celebration was attended by about twenty priests and a large crowd of lay faithful.
In his homily, Reverend Father Achille Musabingo called on the people of God to remain hopeful despite the precarious security situation and the trials they face. According to him, although these servants are no longer with us, their memory lives on among Christians; that is why he also emphasized that a mausoleum will be erected in Mbau to honor the memory of these three sons of Father Emmanuel d’Alzon.
“My brothers and sisters, let us hold on to hope so that the memory of our fathers may gradually transform from bitterness into inner peace, because to weep endlessly without hope is to ruin our future.”
Based on an article by Kakule Kalemberya Moïse, a.a., published on the Province of Africa’s website.