Sainte Marie de Kimwenza

Last updated
Saint Mary of Kimwenza
French: Sainte Marie de Kimwenza
Une vue exterieure de Sainte Marie de Kimwenza.jpg
Sainte Marie de Kimwenza in 2012
Sainte Marie de Kimwenza
Location Kimwenza, Mont Ngafula, Kinshasa
Country Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denomination Catholic
History
Status Parish Church
Dedication Mary Magdalene
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Years built1954;70 years ago (1954)

The Sainte Marie de Kimwenza (meaning "Saint Mary of Kimwenza") is a Roman Catholic parish church located in the Mont Ngafula commune of the Lukunga District in Kinshasa within the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). [1] [2] [3] Established in 1954, [4] the mission was initially founded by the Jesuits in 1893, and in 1894, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur established a girls' school. [5] [6] The Faculty of Agronomic and Veterinary Science has obtained all necessary official authorizations for its operation, including the acquisition of land opposite the church after a long discernment process. [7]

History

In 1893, Father Émile Van Hencxthoven, a Jesuit priest, arrived in the western part of the Kwango Mission by the end of May. [5] He later settled in the school colony of Kimwenza, which was then baptized as the "Sainte-Marie colony." [6] Following his settlement, he proposed a stratagem to establish twin missionary outposts along the Kwango Mission's demarcated terrain, seeking to fortify against incursions by Protestant missionaries. [6] [5] This proposal materialized with the founding of the Kisantu station in November 1893, a mere four months hence. [6] [5] Kisantu burgeoned into a strategic center for evangelical pursuits within the Kwango Mission after the abandonment of Kimwenza in 1896 and its formal closure in 1901 through a concordat with the State. [5] [6]

The Jesuit apostolate gained considerable influence from Kisantu, becoming a focal point for their missionary efforts. [5] [6] In 1895, Father Van Hencxthoven introduced the concept of secondary outposts, denominated as "chapel farms," which transformed over time into influential hubs for environmental transformation. [5]

In 1954, a cadre of Belgian Jesuit fathers started the construction of the Saint Marie parish in Kimwenza. The construction was completed later that year. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kongo Central</span> Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kongo Central, formerly Bas-Congo, is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Matadi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kisantu</span> Town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kisantu, is a town in the western Democratic Republic of Congo, lying south west of Kinshasa, on the Inkisi River. It is known for its large cathedral and for its botanical gardens, which include an arboretum of indigenous trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mont Ngafula</span> Commune in Kinshasa, DR Congo

Mont Ngafula, or Mont-Ngafula, is a municipality (commune) in the Lukunga District of Kinshasa, in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). By its surface area, Mont Ngafula is the third-largest commune in Kinshasa's city-province. It is located in the hilly southern area of Kinshasa and is intersected by the Lukaya River valley in its southern portion. The boundary with the Ngaliema commune is defined by the Lukunga River. Mont Ngafula shares borders with the Makala commune to the north, the Kongo Central Province to the south, the Lemba and Kisenso communes to the east, and the Selembao commune to the west. It has an estimated population of 718,197 (2015).

Kituba is a widely used lingua franca in Central Africa. It is a creole language based on Kikongo, a Bantu language. It is a national language in Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Democratic Republic of the Congo–related articles</span>

Articles related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kinshasa</span> Roman Catholic archdiocese in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Archdiocese of Kinshasa is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its ecclesiastic territory includes the capital city of Kinshasa and surrounding districts. The archdiocese is the metropolitan see for the Ecclesiastical Province of Kinshasa. The current archbishop is Fridolin Ambongo Besungu.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kikwit is a diocese located in the city of Kikwit in the ecclesiastical province of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovanium University</span>

Lovanium University was a Catholic Jesuit university in Kinshasa in the Belgian Congo. The university was established in 1954 on the Kimwenza plateau, near Kinshasa. The university continued to function after independence until it was merged into the National University of Zaire in 1971. It can be considered an antecedent of the University of Kinshasa.

The Roman Catholic Apostolic Prefecture of Kwango was a mission territory in Central Africa set up at the end of the nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are both nationally and internationally state owned and operated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petites Chutes de la Lukaya</span>

The Petites Chutes de la Lukaya is a set of small waterfalls on the Lukaya River. They are just south of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They are about 1 metre (3.3 ft) high.

Kimwenza is a community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Mont Ngafula commune in the south of the capital, Kinshasa.

MadimbaTerritory is a territory in the Kongo Central Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Its seat is the town of Madimba. The region covers an area of 8,260 square miles and is situated 100 km from Kinshasa. It spans from the Lukusu River in the north to Kintano in the west, and from the Inkisi River in the west to Kinkosi-Luidi in the southeast. The territory borders Kasangulu Territory to the northeast, Kimvula Territory to the southeast, Mbanza-Ngungu Territory to the west, and Angola to the south. Madimba Territory is home to an approximate population of 463,132 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Cathedral, Kisantu</span> Church in Kisantu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Cathedral or just Kisantu Cathedral is a religious building belonging to the Catholic Church and is located in the town of Kisantu, 120 kilometres (75 mi) south of Kinshasa, the capital of the African country of Democratic Republic of the Congo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwango District</span> District in Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kwango District was a district of the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It went through various changes in extent. It roughly corresponded to the present provinces of Kwilu and Kwango.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwilu District</span> District in Bandundu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kwilu District was a district of the Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It roughly corresponded to the present province of Kwilu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loyola University of Congo</span> Jesuit university in Congo

Loyola University of Congo, also referred to by its acronym ULC, is a private Roman Catholic higher education institution run by the Central Africa Province of the Society of Jesus in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was founded by the Jesuits in 2016. The Jesuits have pursued educational efforts in Kinshasa since 1954, and have named the university after the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius of Loyola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gare de l'Est, Kinshasa</span> Railway station in Kinshasa, Congo

The Gare de l'Est, also known as Kinshasa Est or Kinshasa Central Station, is a central railway station situated in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Positioned along the Matadi–Kinshasa Railway line, it functions as a pivotal transshipment point connecting the railway and the river. Managed by the Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports, the station stands near Ngobila Beach at the Port of Kinshasa, fostering maritime links with Brazzaville, and is conveniently located close to SCTP buildings and the Ministry of Transport and Channels of Communication.

Mater Dei Parish, also known simply as Mater Dei, is a Roman Catholic parish church located in the Kimbondo neighborhood of the Mont Ngafula commune, within the Lukunga District in Kinshasa, situated in the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is part of the Italian Institute of Consolata Missionaries with primary hubs in Ngudia-Baka, Nsabuka, and Mitendi, along with sub-parochial outposts in Télécoms, Kimbanseke, and Masina Sans Fil. The parish commemorates its patronal feast on May 8, a tradition dating back to 1980 when Pope John Paul II made his inaugural visit to Zaire.

References

  1. ↑ "Kinshasa : le Cardinal Ambongo mobilise la Banque mondiale pour endiguer les érosions à Kimwenza" [Kinshasa: Cardinal Ambongo mobilizes the World Bank to stem erosion in Kimwenza]. Radio Okapi (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  2. ↑ Onkiri, Ruphin Isay (January 18, 2021). Le sacerdoce : un métier vocationnel ?: Essai sur les recompositions du ministère presbytéral en RD Congo (in French). Paris, France: Éditions L'Harmattan. p. 34. ISBN   978-2-14-016871-0.
  3. ↑ "First Vows Ceremony in RDC-TCHAD | Religious of the Sacred Heart". rscjinternational.org. September 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  4. ↑ Haes, René de; Manwelo, Paulin (2004). Former l'homme (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Editions Loyola-Canisius. p. 24.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anicet, N'Teba Mbengi (2010-07-29). La mission de la Compagnie de Jesus au Kwilu: Contribution à la transformation d'une région congolaise (1901-1954) (in French). Rome, Italy: Pontifical Gregorian University. pp. 153–159. ISBN   978-88-7839-171-0.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Truchet, Bernadette; Zorn, Jean-François (2020-12-17). 40 ans de recherches sur la mission chrétienne par le Crédic (in French). Paris, France: Éditions Karthala. p. 212. ISBN   978-2-8111-2764-0.
  7. ↑ Haes, René de; Manwelo, Paulin (2004). Former l'homme (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Editions Loyola-Canisius. p. 108.
  8. ↑ Haes, René de; Manwelo, Paulin (2004). Former l'homme (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Editions Loyola-Canisius. pp. 24–108.

4°27′21″S15°17′14″E / 4.45576°S 15.28715°E / -4.45576; 15.28715

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.