Monastère Notre-Dame-des-Sources, Kiswishi,

Lubumbashi Lubumbashi ( , ; former ; former ) is the second-largest Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the country's southeasternmost part, along the border with Zambia. The capital ...

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...

, is a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

of the Annunciation Congregation. Established in 1944 in

Katanga Province Katanga was one of the four large provinces created in the Belgian Congo in 1914. It was one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1966 and 2015, when it was split into the Tanganyika Province, Tanganyika, Hau ...

, the monastic community was relocated to Kiswishi (Kisuishi), around 17 km from Lubumbashi, in the early 1960s. As of 2000, the monastery was home to 39

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

s, under the leadership of Conventual Prior Fr Boniface N'Kulu Lupitshi.

History

Benedictine monks from the monastery of Saint André, Brugge, arrived in the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

in 1910. Undertaking missionary endeavors throughout

, they constructed mission stations and schools. By the 1950s, more than a hundred monks resided in Katanga. The first two bishops of the Vicariate Apostolic of Katanga, José Floriberto Cornelis and Jean-Félix de Hemptinne, were Benedictine monks. By 1944, the monks were prepared to cultivate indigenous

vocation A vocation () is an Work (human activity), occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity. ...

s. Father Van der Straten, accompanied by seven local aspirants, founded a monastery in Mukaba-Kasari. In 1952, the foundation was transferred to Kansenia, a former mission station. Twelve years later, the monks again relocated, this time to the hill of Kiswishi, 15 km from

. On August 13, 1972, the monastery was raised to the status of a conventual priory, and a local monk was elected as the first prior.

Apostolic work

Many of the monks at Monastère Notre-Dame-des-Sources are engaged in manual labor, including

mechanic A mechanic is a skilled tradesperson who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially engines. Formerly, the term meant any member of the handicraft trades, but by the early 20th century, it had come to mean one who works w ...

s, farming, gardening, and raising chickens and rabbits. A trade school and medical center are also operated by the monks. The community's ordained monks provide pastoral services in twelve nearby communities as part of the "Living Church" (CEV) program. They also minister at a local military camp. Monks with intellectual training provide instruction at a number of education centers, including an ''Institute for Spirituality'', a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

, the College of John XXIII, and a

Salesian The Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), formally known as the Society of Saint Francis de Sales (), is a religious congregation of men in the Catholic Church, founded in 1859 by the Italian priest John Bosco to help poor and migrant youth during the ...

theological school. In 1968, a guesthouse with 38 rooms was opened. The monastic community continues to offer hospitality to those passing by, organizing weekends of recollection and extended retreats.

Personnel

As of 2000, the community at Lubumbashi included 39 monks, nine of whom were ordained

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, ...

. The monks of Monastère Notre-Dame-des-Sources are under the leadership of Conventual Priory Boniface N'Kulu Lupitshi.

References

{{morecat, date=May 2022 Benedictine monasteries in Africa

History

Apostolic work

Personnel

See also

References