The July issue of As a Rule focused on No. 35, with the theme of living a life of oblation, attentive to the appeals made to us. In reflecting on the passage, Fr. Floribert Bulo Dhelo, SCJ, shared his story of being a refugee, and how Dehonians responded to the appeals of he and his fellow villagers.
“In 2002, my uncle’s family and I fled the ethnic war in Bunia, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Without forgetting the dramatic and arduous six-day walk on foot, days and nights through the forest, risking encounters with dangerous wild animals and rebels, I will focus on the time we arrived at Mambasa.
“Although we escaped, the suffering wasn’t over. We had no place to stay, no food, no money to survive, not even clothes except what we wore when we fled…
“Our Dehonians looked after the refugees. While some found housing and mattresses, others took care of food, clothing and medicine. And when classes started, they purchased uniforms and paid the school fees for all the refugee children for a year.
“I was touched by this gesture and felt indebted. I learned what it means to weep with those who weep, to clothe the naked, to suffer with those who suffer (Mt 25:36)…
“We are surrounded by people in need, calling to be rescued, needing an open and compassionate heart to hear them and provide an answer or solution to their calls. Fr. Dehon founded the congregation to fight against social injustice. We as well, on his path, are called to find a way to pursue the same spirit of love given freely through social services.”Click here to read Fr. Floribert’s full reflection, as well as that of Sr. Eulogia (Yollie) Nobabos, TMM, who writes about her call to the missions of South Dakota from her home in the Philippines.
