Interviewer – Would you share a bit about your background; family, childhood, early education etc.
Fr. Francis – I am the fourth son in a family of seven boys. My childhood was from an ordinary modest family in the DRC. I went through nursery school, primary school and high school in Kinshasa, my hometown. Since my early years I have been a quiet person, as I listen more than I speak. Even as a child growing up, I always had the desire of becoming a priest someday, though I did not know the difference between a religious priest and a diocesan priest.
– Where did your Assumptionist roots begin? Did anyone in particular have a significant impact on your life?
– My hometown parish was staffed by the Assumptionists, so I did not need to look any further. When I entered, I had the intention of becoming a priest, but then I also discovered what it meant to be a member of a congregation. To this day I appreciate the fraternity within the congregation and the simplicity of Assumptionist life.
– Would you share some of your later education and formation memories?
– Looking back, I would say what drew me to join the congregation at that time was my desire to live in a just world. I was disappointed to see corruption, injustice, tribalism and suffering in my society. So, for me, the church was a safe place.
– Where and what did subsequent community assignments take you?
– I was ordained in Kinshasa in 2015 and assumed the responsibilities of: Assistant Parish Priest at Divin Maitre, my home parish, Postulant Master and Regional Superior of Kinshasa.
– How have you experienced growth in the living out of your Assumptionist charism?
– For me, the Assumptionist charism is all about love. As St. Augustine put it, “Love and do what you want.” Without love, the Kingdom cannot come. For sure, I cannot change the world. However, I can change my mind, my heart, and my vision in order to become more human for the good of the other. In whatever I do, I make an effort to look for the good of the other for the sake of the gospel. What is important for me is the charism and the spirit of the Assumption.
– Would you share any happy memories/stories?
– I would just say that my life is just a wonder. From my youngest years, as I said, I wanted to become a religious and priest. With God’s help, I made my way to live my priestly vocation. And now, in the U.S., I hope to find a ‘land,’ brothers, sisters and friends to journey with me.
– What hobbies or other interests do you have?
– Actually, I like to discover new places, new cultures and when I have free time, I like to watch some TV programs.
– What is your vision and or hope for the future of the congregation and/or the Church?
– My vision for the Church and/or the congregation is that the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven. All we have to do is to let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit. Since we do not do things for God but rather God works through us. So, the only thing to do is to be attentive to the callings of the Spirit. That is to say, we should be just like tools in God’s hands. The future belongs to God. He has given us the present. So that the good that we do today affects the future. In other words, God will show us Assumptionists where we are needed at the appropriate time.
– Is there anything about you that you would like to share or that would surprise others?
– It is my joy to be here among you. I am happy to live with people of different backgrounds. I missed that in my initial formation. In this Province of North America, I have experience religious and lay people living and working together as family. It is just a wonderful and new experience for me. I hope that this joy will accompany me all along my journey in this new land.