Kivu News

Since 1984, the Crosiers have established a community in the village of Musienene, in a mountainous area of the Province of North Kivu in the Diocese of Butembo-Beni.  The village sits on the equator. The Crosiers live at two sites, just a kilometre apart from one another.

The first site, called Ivatama, is a large parish with many missions.  It serves also as a pastoral training center for young Crosiers preparing for ordination to the diaconate and priesthood.  At the Ivatama site are Fr. Kambale Kivukiro Onesphore (superior and associate pastor), Fr. Paluku Kolinzo Dieudonné (pastor), Br. Kambale Kbwana Germain (business manager) and Brs. Paluku Yenga-Yenga Godefroid and Kambale Sivahavwa Jean-Baptiste, both of whom are in pastoral training.

The second site, called Mutinga and owned by the Crosiers, houses Fr. Rik Wuyts, Fr. Katembo Tsongo Vincent (director of the rural development center) and Br. Kalyana Tavahola Jeannot who is in pastoral training.  Because Mutinga serves as the administrative center of the Crosier Region, Fr. Hubert Wagemans also lives there.  The rural development center connected with Mutinga, called Ceproruma, has as its mission the improvement of agriculture and rural living.

The Crosier community in the village of Mulo, about ten miles from Musienene, is the motherhouse of the Order in the Congo.  It was founded in 1985 and now has two sites.  The larger and first of the sites serves a parish with two missions and manages a number of small development projects for the benefit of the local population.  Mulo also houses the postulancy of the Region (10 candidates this year) and the novitiate (15 novices in a two-year program).   The second  site, called Katwa, about a kilometer from the main house, was established this year as a formation house for the 10 Brothers in temporary profession who are studying philosophy.  Katwa is situated in a idyllic setting on a large farm, owned and operated by the Crosiers. 

The solemnly professed members of the community are Fr. Rob Stigter (superior), Fr. Jan Koopman (pastor), Fr. Ernest Martello, Fr. Guy Rigole, Fr. Kasereka Pataya Charles (novice director), Br. Katembo Ngazi Maha Herbert (business manager), Br. Kakule Katsambya Jean de Dieu and Deacon Brother Musubao Kasebi Odilon and Br. Kavusa Bikira Emile, both in pastoral training.  A tenth member of the community, Fr. Paluku Muhumira Henri, is the Vice-Regional and lives at Katwa as formation director for the young Brothers there.

North Kivu, until just a couple of months ago, was a war zone.  Nationalist and rebel groups in conflict with one another and with the government in Kinshasa caused terrible insecurity and untold suffering for the local population and the Crosier communities.  Life is now beginning to resume a more peaceful and normal rhythm, despite the fact that here and there conflict threatens to erupt again.