Lynn, Mass. –March 2007 The Congolese Community in New England is a fast growing community of new immigrants to the US, some generation of Congolese US-born, US-naturalized, and which comprises mainly former students who made it to the States in the late 1990, today’s professionals, workers and business persons; and a good number of young charismatic who, when feeling the call, have shifted gears to become clergy members. Today, more than five Massachusetts and Rhodes Island churches host a predominant number of Congolese Immigrants.

Catholics, Immigrants, Congolese in Massachusetts…. Who are they?

Most Congolese immigrants have settled in the outskirts of Boston, in cities like Lynn, Revere, Malden, and further more in Lawrence, Lowell (Northern Region) and many other in the Worcester /Framingham Area (at about 30 min. driving South of Boston on the Interstate 90. While a majority is established in Mass, there are many other Congolese who have recently made a choice to settle up North, in the neighboring and real estate low-cost state of Rhodes Island, for most, in Providence and surrounding cities.

Long before, these migration trends occurred, Lynn happened to be “New England’s Beacon” for most arriving Congolese; historically seen as the Congolese “Plymouth Plantation”, a meeting point for most long time settlers (with 10 to 15 years of residency). Although no credible census is available, we estimate knowing not less than 50 families that live in these places; a little bit more than 500 people. The community of Congolese immigrants tried several times to organize into an association that would have been the “advocate” and “representation body” of DR Congo’s immigrants, but these many attempts did not amount because of the lack of will to unite on one hand, and because these efforts were undermined by some faith and citizen’s group leaders with inexplicable interests in controlling the populace.

Their Native Land: The “bleeding” Congo

Perhaps one would attribute other reasons of this phenomenon to the fact that many immigrants, in a new land, are left behind with their schisms from past deceptions in many faith-based groups they have belonged to, by heartbreaking famine in their native RD Congo, by bloody civil wars and persecutions dictatorial regimes that silenced (tortured or killed) many. Some roots of division is seen in the variety of tribes and dialects that splits these 63,655,000 “tyrannized” inhabitants of a four-decades independent African country. The Congo representing about 1/3 of the United States territory, prophetically and against all odds, is called the “Democratic” Republic of Congo.

Profoundly Catholic, the country’s prominent religion, the Democratic Republic Congo has just came out of what was called the “African World War” because of the toll of human losses amounting more than 5 Millions of lives,
The world deadliest conflict ever since Word War II, commented the press. The Congolese Civil War involved many African criminal “heads of states”, a dozen of the region’s national armies, not less than five most dangerous rebel leaders the UN International Tribunal is still missing to call for justice in Hague, three existing “legitimized” militias, a dozen of greedy western companies with “bloody” and inhuman interests in a country with the richest soil and minerals ever. Among minerals that correspond to those interests articulated by these 21 century’s “Predators”, these unnamed “International Terrorists”, are indeed vital supplies to the development of modern industry, the advancement of technology in aviation, and in weaponry: Coltan (a resource for making cell-phone’s components), cupper, diamonds, gold, cobalt, oil, and even the Uranium.

The Congo recently held days of national funerals, declared by the regime of Joseph Kabila, ruler of the Congo for the mourning of the death of its beloved and patriotic clergy leaders, just like they did back in 1980s when the regretted Joseph Cardinal Malula, Archbishop of Kinshasa died under the oppression of the terrible president Mobutu’s dictatorial regime. His Eminence Frederick Cardinal Etsou died, under the shadow of the mysterious and the unbelief, in Belgium. The transfer of his body for burial in Kinshasa’s Notre-Dame church and the funerals have been a mark of sadness and frustration in the minds and hearts of Congolese immigrants whom, for the most, have been politically persecuted and exiled from the Congo.

Congolese who live in the USA: legal immigrants, F1 visas students, refugees and many other political exiles seem comfortable coping with different types of religious denominations we have here in America. The DR Congo has about 80% of Christians, for a population that represents about 0,99% (20th largest) of the world’s population. This last fact, in part, explains the reason why most Congolese immigrants in New England are active members of Christian churches: Catholic, Pentecostal and Baptist. Many of these local churches with most Congolese members include Eagle Heights Church (Revere), La Vie Abondante in Everett, the ICC-International Community Church (Allston), the EEC-Evangelical Christian Center (Brighton), the Abundant Life of Providence, the Green Pastures Church in Worcester, and the Congolese Catholic Community “Mwinda” in Lynn St-Marys Chapel.

Entering the circle of the great ones in faith

Previously founded in February 2004 in Brighton Mass, and presided over by Father Vincent Machozi when he led a small group of about one hundreds laid people that grew since then to become the newly Congolese religious network at this time. The Mwinda community moved out of the Brighton’s Parish of St-Columbkille, to be closer its members, for the most residents in Lynn and souroundings. Among its members and clergy, we noted few names, Jackie Kalonji, a Congolese woman who presides (on a yearly mandate) over the community network. This spiritual group is currently led by Chaplain Donatien Mushy S.J., and have active members among many, Brother Bienvenue Mayemba and several dozens of members and families who gather every fourth Saturday, in a Chapel, located behind the great St-Mary’s Church in Lynn.

More deeper and out of the ordinary, the Catholic Community, showing signs of a faster growth within the Congolese community, has drawn attention, while holding a Special Eucharistic Celebration that will feature the visit of the Archbishop of Boston, His Eminence Sean Cardinal O’Malley, OFM Cap. Lately, Brother Charles Madi, a Congolese parishioner was recently ordained, January 2007, Catholic Deacon in a local parish.

During the event, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFM Cap discovered an exquisite performance of some 30 Congolese Youth Choir, featuring the legendary Congolese musical talents. His Eminence, the Cardinal O’Malley, the Boston’s number one catholic prelate enjoyed the celebration and decided to come by and visit the “Mwinda” Community’s barn. Furthermore, Brother Charles Madi, a now Congolese clergy, has been chosen by the Boston’s Church leadership to be ordained, in May 2007, as a Priest in the Boston Archdiocese

This celebration-event on Sunday March 25th 2007, at 10 am, featuring the presence of a higher-ranking leader of the Boston’s catholic church is expected to drive more Congolese believers. Most of them are coming out of their religious closets, after long period of visits in local Pentecostal churches.

Some would say that those who were seen as barely “uncovered” believers seized the right moment to publicly demonstrate their long time discrete moves back to their Catholic faith, while struggling long time with dual faith memberships.

They shouldn’t be ashamed of their faith, would say one with a good sense. Although the catholic church, and the one in Boston, particularly suffered prejudices since the last sex scandals, good news are still heard from their leadership in major issues that face the church and the state. In February of 2004, All denominations Massachusetts religious leaders signed a statement supporting the “conservative” proposed constitutional amendment to safeguard the traditional definition of marriage.

Among the signers were leaders of the 4 Roman Catholic Dioceses, the Black Ministerial Alliance, Orthodox Churches, various Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist and Episcopalian communities, Jewish Congregations, the Islamic Council of New England and Vision New England Churches. “This is neither a Catholic nor a sectarian issue” Catholics wrote in the statement. “It is a human issue. For thousands of years the institution of marriage, geared toward the rearing of children, has been the cornerstone of human society. Marriage is by its very nature oriented toward having children and raising them in a family. To redefine marriage, they acknowledge, as merely an arrangement among adults undermines the family and will have serious consequence in the future.”

It’s a clear sign in 2007 that the Catholic faith is coming back to the minds of Americans in Massachusetts, but more to a great number of middle-class settled Congolese families, now members of the Lynn St-Mary’s Parish, led by the Rev. Msgr. Paul V. Garrity, VF. The Congolese social network, called “Mwinda” is definitely showing high reputation, while the “catholic faith” is on the rise among Congolese in Massachusetts.
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Commentary by Chief-Editor Franklin Katunda
In Lynn, Massachusetts


© Congoboston.com, March 2007