Fr. Baudouin Mubesala, O.M.I.

2006 marks the 75th anniversary of the Oblate presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the country formerly known as Zaire. As the Oblates plan the celebration for their Diamond Jubilee, Fr. Baudouin Mubesala, O.M.I., shares his story of growing up in the DRC and explains why he chose the Oblate life.

"I knew the Oblates since I was a child growing up in the city of Laba Nsim. Priests from the seminary were coming to celebrate Mass each Sunday in our village, and one of them, Fr. Francois Dupont, O.M.I., a Belgian Oblate, used to play with us, bringing us on his motorcycle.

“When I was at the seminary, I came to know two Oblates, Fr. Benoit Kabongo, O.M.I., who was the rector, and Bro. Roger Durand, O.M.I., who became my good friend. Roger explained to me the Oblate life.

“What attracted me to the Oblates is the simplicity of their lifestyle, their proximity with the people, and their generosity. These three Oblates, Fr. Francois, Fr. Benoit, and Bro. Roger impressed me, and their example of life drew me to the Oblate life.”

Fr. Baudouin made his first vows in 1980, and he was ordained in 1988. A year later, he was named Provincial of Zaire. In 1992, he continued his studies in Belgium and in Rome, and in 1995 he was appointed Provincial of the Missionary Oblates in the Congo and Angola.

“I consider this period as the learning process of my life,” Fr. Baudouin explained. “I learned to know and to understand people, I learned how to deal with people in difficult situations, and I learned how to become human and realistic. . .I came to the conclusion and conviction that each human being has their limits and strong points, each human being is your sister or brother. I would say that it was in this period that ‘I was born’ as an adult.”

Fr. Baudouin’s growth and maturation developed not only through the people he met, but also by the events that took place in the DRC.

In 1997 the country experienced its second civil war. President Mobutu was overthrown by Congolese rebels who had the support of neighboring countries Rwanda and Uganda. Civil unrest spread throughout the country, and many people died.

“The war in 1997 was very painful for me because I was Provincial. I was in charge of many Oblates, and I was concerned for them.”

Fr. Baudouin’s concern for the Oblates’ safety soon became a reality. In September 1997, he was carjacked and shot multiple times. “I was attacked by one, two, three men trying to rob my car,” he recounted. “As I was resisting giving them the ignition key, they just shot me.”

“I was bleeding when they brought me to the hospital. The physicians realized it was too late to operate but an Oblate brother who was working as a nurse convinced them to operate. While they were [preparing] for surgery, my heart [stopped beating]. The physicians decided to stop and were looking for a coffin, but the Oblate brother took the responsibility to reanimate my heart. Thank God, after many efforts, my heart began to beat again.” Once he fully recovered, he returned to the DRC, and continued to serve the poor in the country.

Currently, Fr. Baudouin is taking a sabbatical. In 2005 he studied at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX, and in January 2006 he participated in a conference / retreat in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Fr. Baudouin will return to the DRC in June as the president of the Oblate School of Missiology in Kinshasa. He will get to participate in some of the Diamond Jubilee festivities. He is proud of the Oblates’ work in the DRC, including their parish work, their educational center for street children, and their clinic to care for the sick. Fr. Baudouin believes that despite the political unrest, they will continue to be successful. As he explains, “Happy are those with open minds because they will build the city of the future.”