Priest providing Congo connection to Albany Diocese

The Congolese priest, who is beginning a three-year term as associate pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady, is accustomed to the bustling, crowded streets of the city of Kinshasa. The often-empty byways of his American home are, by comparison, sometimes scary.

"One is almost afraid to walk home," he admitted.

The provincial at the Norbertine Priory in Kinshasa, he holds a doctorate in philosophy and taught at an intercongregational college for young religious. He hopes that his three-year sojourn in the Albany Diocese will help solve some problems facing the Church in Congo.

Congo connection

A sign of the economic situation is that the Priory breeds pigs and other animals, and sells produce in order to make ends meet.

In a country where "those who rule view politics as a way to become rich," Father Kamundu said that the Church is "the only hope for the population. Everyone relies on the Church, which is considered the voice for the voiceless."

Poverty and war

The Congolese population, he continued, has been embroiled in a bitter civil war that has drawn violent barriers between ethnic groups and disrupted the nation's tenuous economy. The war has been aggravated by the involvement of the neighboring countries of Rwanda and Uganda.

Father Kamundu's life is no exception to the disruption: His parents still reside in an area occupied by invaders, and he lives with the constant worry that something might happen to them.

"People are being killed every day," he said. Even though efforts have been made to bring about peace, "the war is not yet over."

Adapting to U.S.

He is enjoying the company of his fellow priests and appreciates the "welcoming" attitude of the parishioners. When he is ready, he hopes to visit the sick in Schenectady hospitals.

As he has settled in, he has noted that American Catholic practice is quite different from that of the Congo. While a typical American liturgy lasts one hour, for example, the liturgies in Kinshasa often go for more than two hours because of dancing, singing and very long homilies.

Father Kamundu, however, appreciates a little brevity now and then. "Masses that last for hours are too long," he said. As for his own celebrations at St. John the Evangelist, he said that he doesn't "want to displease anyone by going on too long!"

(10-10-02) [[In-content Ad]]