KINGANDU MISSION
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Kingandu (Founded in 1962) Province of Germany.
In 1962, the German province took under its care the Mission of Kingandu, which had been founded in 1929 by the Jesuits. The beginnings were difficult because the Republic of Congo (former Zaire), independent after 1960, was in a chaotic situation: revolts, secession moves, rebellions and degradation at all levels, which made missionary work most difficult. The country came into a relative calm when the army took over the government under the command of General Mobutu. The Mission went through a difficult period in the 70's, especially in 1972 and 1975. The recourse to authenticity provoked a serious conflict between Church and State under president Mobutu: prohibition of Christian names, of religious movements, closure of seminaries, etc., all of which greatly limited all missionary activity. Many missionaries aban-doned the country, others were expelled; but from 1975 on, the situation began to normalise. The Church came out of its conflict strengthened: the conflict had elicited in many lay people a positive awareness of their responsibilities. In addition, the conflict had also been positive for the resurgence of vocations.
The countryside is made up of a series of plateaux deprived of trees and covered with wild grass about one meter tall. There are two missionary zones: Kingandu-Pay with more than 100,000 inhabitants and Mukila-Kindi (a mission accepted in 1982) with about 20,000 inhabi-tants. These zones are poor, with great dependence from the chiefs of clans, lack of communica-tions and of health and education infrastructures. In 1964 the first native priest was ordained, and the team began to increase. In Mont Ngafula a great number of Claretians from various African nations are being trained since 1982.
The basic work is initial evangelisation, formation of catechists, youth ministry, voca-tion promotion and human promotion: teaching, health and agricultural development. Lately the situation has again become most difficult for the missionaries.
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