Fourth General Councillor, Simon Lumpini Mbala.

We continue our series on our new General Council. He is the second Brother on the Council

I am Brother LUMPINI MBALA Simon, msc from the Democratic Republic of Congo (Francophone African Union). I completed my novitiate to South Africa, studied Pastoral Theology in Yaoundé, Cameroun, and Management and Administration of School and Training Institutions (GAISF) in Kinshasa. In 2020, I was appointed formator for the pre-novitiate in Kinshasa.

I was on the road (Emmaus) from the Limeté community when I received a message from the General Superior. He called me later and proposed I become a member of the General Leadership Team. This proposal was a complete surprise to me, and I reminded him who I was. However, he reiterated it was Br Simon from the Righni pre-novitiate whom he was appointing to the Leadership Team, despite the fact I was not a delegate at the General Chapter. I confess his proposal came as a shock! Moreover, I was planning the 2023-2024 pre-novitiate, so this all felt like a ‘dream’. I told him I could not answer him immediately and needed time to reflect and pray on his request.

Following our conversation, I went to the chapel to pray and meditate on this proposal and asked God, ‘Why Simon?’, and my response was, if it’s God’s will, why not! God does not call those who are able, but he enables those he calls. When Abzalon called back, I informed him my response was, ‘Yes, I accept’. Then, what felt like a dream had become a reality. I remembered that God can call wherever we are … “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).

On 4 October 2023, on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi at 3:00 p.m. Kinshasa time, I was elected General Assistant by the capitulants in Rome. “We are all servants but do not have the same workload. To each person, according to his abilities, God entrusts responsibilities. When He calls us, he fills our lives with his presence according to the volume of the container we bring. Let us not let His graces die in us”.

When Fr BANACKISSA Yvon, msc (Union Superior) made the news public, I went to the chapel to thank God. Afterwards, I received calls from the Brothers and Sisters everywhere to congratulate and encourage me. May your prayers, Brothers and Sisters, accompany me so that God’s will be done, and Mary, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for me.