Relief as Catholic Priests Trekking for Miles in DR Congo Receive New Motorbikes to Achieve “pastoral proximity” Policy

Boma, 20 July, 2024 / 9:24 PM

In the Catholic Diocese of Boma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Priests walk for up to 40 kilometers to reach some of the mission stations of the Congolese Episcopal See, which are in very remote places.

According to the Catholic pontifical and charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, 35 of the 47 Catholic Parishes of Boma Diocese are located in remote rural areas. 

“The priests serve the faithful with joy and great zeal, but the distances are great, the roads bad and some priests even have to walk up to 40 kilometers to reach the faithful,” ACN says in a Thursday, July 18 report.

At the request of the Local Ordinary of Boma, Bishop José-Claude Mbimbi Mbamba, the charity foundation that reaches out to the people of God in hardship places has purchased motorbikes for the Priests serving in the Diocese in order to lessen “the burden of their ministry”.

“Bishop of Boma appealed to us to be able to purchase 10 motorbikes for his priests who work in the most remote parishes, in order to lighten the burden of their ministry,” says ACN.

According to the charity foundation, the Diocese of Boma focuses on a policy of “pastoral proximity”, meaning that the Priests have to go to the villages as often as possible, in order to care for the faithful as intensively as possible and to be accessible. 

“It is for this reason that new parishes are also being founded, so that the distances are not too great,” ACN says, and adds, “By the generous response of our benefactors, we were able to donate 25,073 euros. The 10 motorcycles have now arrived, solemnly blessed and handed over to the 10 priests involved.”