“Frankly, the church there was no longer fit forcommunity worship,” says Father Jean Paul Ilunga, as he recalls the onenegative impression left by a visit three years ago to his mother’s homevillage in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He was delighted to be saying Mass in the local chapel, which forms part of the parish of Saint-Barthelemy – St Bartholomew’s, in English – yet he found the state of the building in which he stood deeply dispiriting.
“I said the Mass with mixed feelings as I felt it was not safe,” reflects Fr Jean Paul, parish priest of St Anne and Blessed Dominic in St Helens. The interior showed signs of damage from roosting bats. They had left a pungent smell too. “The church was no longer fit for community worship,” he adds. “But this couldn’t be said publicly, not only because it’d hurt the whole community, but because this church was the only place of solace and comfort for a population which has suffered war for the last 30 years and whose lives are sustained by their Catholic faith and community worship.”
Touched by the commitment of those parishioners to be a “striving faith community despite the state of their church building”, Fr Jean Paul felt compelled to act. On his return to Liverpool, he showed Archbishop Malcolm McMahon photographs of the church, and the response was a commitment by the archdiocese to provide financial support for a rebuilding project. “The Archbishop said that it was possible to help the parish in the village to have a decent place of divine worship,” adds Fr Jean Paul.
That was in 2022. Fast forward to November last year and Fr Jean Paul made a return visit to his home country together with Martin Miller, Chief Operating Officer of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, to see the extent of progress made on there building project.
Kilumbu is in the southeast of DR Congo, Africa’s second-largest country in terms of landmass. It lies in a rural, beautifully verdant region famed for its lakes. Indeed Kilumbu-Mangi – to use the village’s full name – is a stone’s throw from the vast expanse of Lake Kisale. It was there, in the diocese of Kamina, that Fr Jean Paul’s late mother Kasumbwe spent her childhood.
To get to the village, Fr Jean Paul and Martin first flew to DR Congo’s second city, Lubumbashi, landing there on 12 November. Three days later, on Friday 15,they arrived in Kilumbu. Inside the now largely rebuilt church, Fr Jean Paul celebrated Mass once more. “The Mass was in my mother tongue, Kiluba. It was very moving and I felt overwhelmed.”
The church’s brick walls were now in place, though the roof remained unbuilt, meaning a canvas awning was hung above the altar for the Mass. “People were thrilled to see us.” Fr Jean Paul continues. “They wanted to thank us, as the people who’ve helped them to build the church.” During Mass, that gratitude was expressed in song after Communion. “We could see how joyful they were and how grateful they were to the Archdiocese of Liverpool.”
Donations from the archdiocese have helped with the purchase of materialsincluding cement, tiles and paint. Parishioners from St Bartholomew’s, fortheir part, have contributed in practical ways, such as by “baking bricks,carrying sand, even fetching water from wells,” as Fr Jean Paul observes. “Thework is progressing well, and the church looks good so far.”
Yet, as the visitors from Liverpool saw, there is one significant challenge remaining. The initial plan to build a wooden roof has had to be revisited, owing to the threat of termites. Consequently, more funding is required to construct a metal roof instead. “The next stage is the roofing, and this will be expensive as it has to be in metal. People have advised us that wood wouldn’t last, which is why we’re now forced to use metal,” explains Fr Jean Paul, adding that the cost is estimated at around £25,000.
To this end, he would be grateful for further donations and, as before, any contributions will be managed on the ground by the Canonesses of Saint Augustine of the Notre-Dame Congregation, who are based in a convent close to Kilumbu. The revised target date for the completion of the project is now this coming summer.
For their November visit, it is worth adding that Fr Jean Paul and Martin did not travel out to Central Africa empty-handed. Rather, they took with them around 100 items of football kit – shirts, shorts and socks – which had come from KitAid, a UK charity which for 25 years has been sending used football gear to poorer countries around the globe.
As the photo shows, a high proportion were Everton shirts, owing to the fact that Richie Gilham, the Merseyside regional co-ordinator for KitAid, is also secretary of the Everton Heritage Society. “It’s always great to spread the royal blue across the world! But ultimately it doesn’t matter what colour the shirt is – it is about getting smiles on faces,” he says.
“If we can supply full kits then these kids are allowed to play in leagues, as often in some poorer countries, they struggle to get the kits to play in. Also, it’s more than just a shirt for many people – it’s apiece of clothing that won’t be worn for just football.”
For Fr Jean Paul, these acts of generosity towards his fellow Congolese have only enhanced his own sense of gratitude towards the people of the Archdiocese of Liverpool, where he first arrived 22 years ago.
“In all the parishes where I’ve been here, I have been made welcome,” says Fr Jean Paul who, across 17 years as a priest here, has had spells at each of Christ the King in Liverpool; St Mary and St John’s in Wigan; St Oswald’s in Longton; St Julie’s in St Helens; and now the abovementioned parish of St Anne and Blessed Dominic in St Helens. “This experience has transformed my feelings of being a victim of injustice, when I left Congo, into being a witness of hospitality and generosity,” he relates. “And to now see the church completed in the village of my mum will be further confirmation of my belief that our Church is truly “catholic” – as per the Apostles’ Creed – and that we share in the sufferings of all our brothers and sisters around the world.”
• To make a donation to the Kilumbu project, please write out a cheque to “StAnne & Blessed Dominic”, and write “The Congo Church” on the back, and postit to:
St Anne & Blessed Dominic Parish,
Parish Office,
40 Monastery Road,
Sutton, St Helens,
WA9 3ZD
• To find more about KitAid, visit: kitaid.net
