DRC: Children in the Diocese of Molegbe commit to tree planting in families

Jean Baptiste Malenge – Kinshasa.

The 400 children met for five days at Loko village in a summer camp. The days were spent in formation and sharing experiences that included teachings on Laudato Sì. The resolution and pledge to plant trees in family homes arose from a recommendation taken during the closing of the 2023 - 2024 Diocesan Pastoral Year. Children at the Loko village summer camp also made the diocesan pledge their own.

This was during the summer camp Holy Mass presided over by Fr Egide Mbimba of the Saint-Paul de Businga-Cité Parish. Children aged 8 to 14 from the villages of Mbwasenge, Molengo, Bowozo, Kuluwa, Maniko, and Ngusa attended the summer camp, this year.

Diocese of Molegbe summer camp

Pope Francis’ message to the youth of DRC

From the very first day, the facilitator led the children in reflecting on Pope Francis’ message to the youth during his 2023 Apostolic Voyage to the DRC. Lessons from Laudato Sì were also given to the children.

On 2 February 2023, Pope Francis met with young people and Catechists at the Martyrs’ Stadium of Kinshasa. In his message to the DRC’s young people, Pope Francis used the hand imagery to speak about the DRC’s future.

The second teaching of Pope Francis shared with the children, by the facilitator, was that of the encyclical, Laudato Sì, on environmental protection. The children experienced the teaching in a very practical way through a guided tour of the Loko Botanical and Fish Gardens, created in 1993 by Protestant missionaries of the area. The children learn about the 450 species of exotic trees, fruit trees, a variety of fish species, as well as a water turbine.

Ecumenical invitation to ecological conversion

During the summer camp, 14 children from the village of Kuluwa received the Sacrament of Baptism. Also during the Eucharistic celebration with the children of  Kizito and the Anuarite Movement Choir, 15 young people received their First Communion.