Parish Church in Lubumbashi Archdiocese, DR Congo, Closed after Desecration, Tabernacle “vandalized”, Hosts Burned

Fr. Emmanuel Mumba. Credit: Nyota TV

He also noted that the desecrators also “emptied the cupboard, taking liturgical vestments, the altar cross, the processional cross, the altar cloth, the mixer, drums, microphones, liturgical books—in short, they took everything.”

“Prayer can no longer be organized in an environment or in a church that has been desecrated. It is the Archbishop, who must come to celebrate the Mass here, in order to open the church for worship,” Fr. Mumba said.

Credit: Nyota TV

He added, “These criminals think they are attacking the Church or the parish. I say no—they have attacked the Body of Christ, especially since this Christian community is itself a part of that Body.”

Also speaking to journalists, the Parish Priest, Fr. Lucien Kabulo, said, “We lost all liturgical ornaments—everything, including the ciborium. All the liturgical books were burned.”

Fr. Lucien Kabulo. Credit: Nyota TV

“The statues of the Virgin Mary—there were two—one was broken inside the church, and the other, located in the Marian grotto, was taken away,” Fr. Kabulo, a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.), said.

He said the items were later discovered in a nearby classroom under construction, where the desecrators had set them ablaze.

According to a July 1 report, the desecrators were individuals “involved in a land dispute with the Church. Out of an original 100 hectares, only about four remain following years of illegal appropriation.”

Credit: Nyota TV

“Justice will be done,” the Vicar General told journalists, and added, “Impunity cannot be allowed. The police and the justice system must do their part, and the Christian community must also continue to mourn.”

According to Fr. Mumba, “The Church will reclaim what rightfully belongs to her—down to the very last square centimetre.”

Credit: Nyota TV

“We are leaving the matter in the hands of the authorities, especially now that they have gone as far as setting fire. Justice must do its work as swiftly as possible to secure the Church’s property as it should be,” he further said, adding, “The message they are sending us is that we are not safe, especially due to the presence of squatters on the property.”

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On reopening the desecrated church for public workshop, the Vicar General said, “It depends on the outcome of the ongoing investigation and a possible rite of re-consecration of the sacred space.”

Credit: Nyota TV

He called for prayers and respect toward the sanctity of places of worship, amid growing concerns over the security of churches in the DRC. “Let the Christian community organize prayers in their homes and cooperate with the police and the justice system by sharing any relevant information,” Fr. Mumba said.

Credit: Nyota TV

There has been a surge in cases of desecration in the DRC in recent times. On May 30, the church of St. Joseph the Worker Tshopo Parish of Kisangani Archdiocese was broken into.

The tabernacle was forcibly opened; the desecrators consumed the Blessed Sacrament.