“Be missionaries of prayer”: Catholic Bishop in DR Congo to Consecrated Widows

Reflecting on the history of the Widows' Order founded in 1943, the Congolese Catholic Bishop said the Church recognizes widows, and that “in the history of the Church, there are many widows who have devoted themselves entirely to God, and many have even started religious families.”

“This is why the Church gives them great consideration,” he said in reference to widows, and reiterated, “For a long time, this category of people has given itself to the services of the Church. Some of them have even created congregations of religious people,”

During the September 7 event, three widows pledged to live in chastity for the rest of their lives after the death of their husbands. They include, Kahindo Charline, Kaliro Osiane, and Kavira Genobi.

These commitments were received by Tsongo Bernadette, head of the Fraternity in the Congolese Diocese of Butembo-Beni.

Bishop Paluku encouraged the three new members to remain “faithful to their marriages, knowing that love never dies.”

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The Congolese Bishop called upon the people of God under his pastoral care to “sensitize other Christian women in their category to join this fraternity.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.