On the night of April 6, the Dehonian community in Kinshasa (DR Congo) woke to see smoke and flames coming from St. Clément parish next door. The fire is thought to have been intentionally set (arson); those who did it have not yet been identified.
The community was alerted by a neighbor who saw three people fleeing the area. Dehonians quickly worked to extinguish the fire, which was centered on the church doors (a neighbor is pictured in front of the doors). Police found accelerants – fuel and wood – surrounding the area of the fire.
Unfortunately, “these kinds of incidents are not isolated,” writes Kivahuka Faustin, SCJ. “Several parishes and religious communities have already suffered some attacks. And in several regions of the country, some dioceses and congregations have seen their priests either physically attacked or kidnapped. And some other clerics have disappeared or have been murdered. In a country where the political, economic and social aspects are in ruins, the Church, which is the only refuge for the people, has also become a target for people with bad intentions. Let us pray for the DR Congo so that peace may come to hearts and society.”
