BURUNDI/TANZANIA, Philippe Kitabu. In its worldwide pilgrimage in preparation for Jubilee 2014 – centenary of the Covenant of Love – the Father Symbol given to the Schoenstatt Family by Father Kentenich, which has been in Africa since December 2010, visited Zimabwe and South Africa first, then Kenya followed by Burundi, where it went to neighboring countries: Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania. During the month of March, three people from Burundi took the precious sign of the relationship with God the Father, and with it the message of the paternity of God announced and embodied in Father Kentenich to Tanzania.
Philippe Kitabu relates: Father Anicet, Father Théodor, and I departed at noon on March 10th from Mount Zion Gikungu to Tanzania. Midway, night fell. We spent the night in Benako, approximately 50 kms. from Ngara, and we arrived in Isingiro on the following day.
The parish of Isingriro belongs to the new Diocese of Kananga. On the east side, it borders the Diocese of Bukoba, on the west with Rwanda, to the north with Uganda, and to the south with the Diocese of Rulenge. The ladies from the Institute of Our Lady of Schoenstatt Shrine in Isingiro built the Shrine in 1976.
People committed with the Shrine in Isingiro
Lay people from the Movement have kept it alive since they left Tanzania. Different religious congregations from the area alternately took care of it in their own way. None of them know about the Schoenstatt charism; presently, some Sisters of Bernadette are there. Providence took care that we would meet the bishop in the Shrine, since we had not been in his See before. Through our explanation, he immediately understood the importance of the visit of the Father Symbol.
He took it in his hands and kissed it. “Truly, God is good. Now I understand why I had to return here,” he stressed, and he asked that we enter the Shrine together to pray and to take a photo of the Father Symbol. Saturday there was a conference about the symbol.
Decisions and concerns
After the encounter, I gathered the committee. Different questions had arisen. Several de-cisions had to be made, among others, the strengthening of the structure, beginning now.
At this meeting, the committee had the opportunity of saying something about the Schoen-statt Family in Tanzania, of expressing gratitude for the visit of the symbol that they felt was a sign of Schoenstatt Family unity, which was strengthened by it. They outlined a picture of the Movement and also about their concerns. For these reasons, they want more visits by the Fathers and Sisters in Insingiro.
Sunday we participated in the morning Eucharist, and we visited the Shrine once more. At approximately 2:00 p.m., we bid farewell to the Shrine, and we made the long return trip home. This time we passed through Uganda and Rwanda. It was a beautiful trip. On Monday, some Schoenstatters from Ngozi (the diocese north of Burundi) were waiting for us close to the cathedral to encourage us to continue with our task in the neighboring countries.
The Father Symbol will be in Burundi until the end of April. At mid-year, it will go to South America for the second time, where it will stay for a long time, and where it is eagerly awaited.
