Christ and his Mother chose for themselves a life of chastity, obedience, and perfect poverty. Saint Francis chose the same life for himself and his brothers.

Following in the footsteps of Christ and St. Francis of Assisi, four (4) brothers made their solemn profession in the Province of St. Anthony of Padua in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. This marks a first since the Province’s canonical establishment on July 30, 2025.

In Bukavu, Brother Joseph-Bienvenu BAHATI, Provincial Definitor and delegate of the Provincial Minister, received the vows of Brothers Eugène KASEREKA VIRIMBA and Pascal BIRINDWA MIRINDI at the Church of Our Lady of Congo in Nyantene. The Provincial Minister, Brother Jean-Baptiste TABARO, was unable to attend due to circumstances related to the war in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In Lubumbashi, Brother Georges MISANGE, Provincial Minister of the Province of St. Benedict the African and delegate of the Provincial Minister of the Province of St. Anthony of Padua, received the vows of Brothers Éric KAMBALE NYENZE and Emile MUGISHO BIGABWA at the Queen of the Apostles Parish in Kigoma. It should be noted that in Lubumbashi, on the same occasion, five novices from the Province of Saint Anthony of Padua also took their first vows.

Through solemn profession, a brother says a definitive “yes” to God, to St. Francis, and to the fraternity. He thus professes the three evangelical vows and fidelity to the Franciscan Rule.

1. Poverty: To possess nothing of one’s own, but to live simply on what God provides
2. Chastity: To love God and others with a free heart, without marriage
3. Obedience: To listen to God, the Church, and the Provincial Minister in order to serve wherever one is sent

And above all: “to live the Gospel according to the Rule of St. Francis.” This means: fraternity, minority, peace, joy, respect for creation, and service to the poor.

In a wounded land like the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the solemn profession of a Franciscan friar has a profound impact. It does not concern only the friar himself; it touches all the people of the region. Amid war, displacement, rape, and looting… many leave. When a young friar takes his final vows here in the east, he says, “I am not fleeing. I choose to pitch my tent here with you, in poverty.” It is a counter-testimony to the logic of violence and money.

After his solemn profession, the brother is sent out. And in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Franciscan brothers are often found where no one else wants to go:

• Among the displaced: humanitarian aid, a listening ear, access to education
• With orphaned children: rehabilitation centers, orphanages
• With victims: justice and peace commissions, support

Conclusion: A Testimony of Nonviolence

St. Francis disarmed through peace. In a land of militias like the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a brother who takes a vow of obedience and peace for his entire life reminds us that resistance is possible in other ways, without resorting to hatred or violence. The Solemn Profession in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is:

• An anchor: God remains here with and for you
• A healed wound: through brotherhood and service
• A seed: for a poor Church, with the poor.

As one brother often says: “Here, to profess is to accept being nailed with Christ to this cross of Kivu, in hope of the resurrection.”