A South Sudanese Comboni missionary called to evangelise in Congo

Interview
of Fr. Lwanga Cornelio

Comboni South Sudan: Why did you choose to become a missionary priest?

Father Lwanga: Many factors made me to take that decision. People and events contribute to what you become. First, my village Uyu-Juku was evangelized by the Comboni Missionaries. They arrived there in 1927. My grandfather Cornelio was among the first group of young boys who became Christians. When he heard about the arrival of the missionaries, he walked from his home about 100 km to Uyu-Juku to meet them and joined the catechumenate. This made an impact on me. Fr. Salvatore Pacifico, an Italian Comboni Missionary, was the Parish Priest of Raga when I was eight years old. He used to come to Uyu-Juku by bicycle, riding for more than 130 km, taking risks in that war zone. I admired his courage and simplicity, eating our local food. In addition to that, it was my character. I was not an easy boy. I was really complicated. I was giving hard time to my peers. I often chose what people find it difficult to choose, such as to leave my family and country behind and consecrate myself for life to serve Jesus Christ and God’s people in the missions.

CSS - How did you know to be a priest was your vocation?

FL - It was not easy to come to that realization. I was 13 when I started feeling my call and began to consider my vocation to be a Comboni Missionary priest. It took me through a long journey with lots of hardships, doubts and sometimes disappointments. At some point of my journey (exactly when I was studying Philosophy) I said no, this is not my life. Then, the issue of Africa remained in my heart and one question struck me badly during the war time: why Africans kill themselves when Comboni said “Save Africa by Africa”? And why Southerners kill themselves? With the help of my formator and spiritual director I got the answer from Jesus on the Cross. Then, I said to myself, if Christ is the answer, I will follow him and let God's will be done. And here I am.

CSS - Why a Comboni Missionary priest?

FL - Sincerely speaking, things happened like if I had a personal encounter with Comboni and his words spoke closely to me like: “Save Africans with Africa”, “Africa or death” and “I wish I had a thousand lives for Africa”. The other thing was my love and admiration for Nelson Mandela and his passion to bring about freedom to South Africa made me to associate him with St. Daniel Comboni. Moreover, my character played an important role in my choice. My striving for high values such as human value and spiritual values made me to read the Gospel a lot when I was a young boy of twelve. This gave me inspiration too.

CSS - In South Sudan there is still a great need of missionaries. You are going to evangelize in Congo. Why that decision?

FL - It wasn't my own decision to go to Congo, but Congo was among my options.

Indeed, people may look at it in that way, that South Sudan is in extreme need of missionaries at the moment. For that reason, the Congregation made an option for South Sudan. Thankfully, South Sudan is blessed to have many Missionary Congregations coming in and doing well in the field of evangelization. I am a missionary; I belong to the Universal Church. I leave for Congo, but I left behind my confreres from Congo working in my country too.
 

CSS - How do you feel about the fact that you have to leave your own country to be a missionary abroad?

FL - I really feel very much concerned about my country South Sudan. If I compare it with a family, it is like a father leaving behind his wife with the young ones. There is, however, this feeling in me, and it has been there for long, the passion that moved St. Paul and our Founder St. Comboni to announce the Gospel everywhere.

CSS - What would you say to young people who are thinking about their vocation, what to do with their life?

FL - Youth today are the pillars of the Church and the foundation of their nation of tomorrow. I believe each one of them have a vocation. I encourage them to study hard and build their future based on a strong faith. If many of them live aimlessly, will they become future leaders? I would say to my younger brothers and sisters in life you must have a dream and follow your dream and give it a good foundation. Never give up or sale out your dreams, whatever meaning they carry. They are as precious as you are in the eyes of God who made you to exist. I remind you that you are a star of the coming dawn, make sure you do not lose direction. I belong to the Province of Khartoum. The last priestly ordination we had in Khartoum Province was in 2005. If you count it to the time of my ordination this year, you will have a ten years gap. So, we do not know who will be coming after me as a Comboni Missionary priest from South Sudan.

CSS - You have been ordained a priest 150 years after Comboni had published his Plan for the Regeneration of Africa and when Pope Francis has been speaking of the Joy of the Gospel. How do you see the mission of the Comboni Missionaries in Africa today?

FL - I see the mission of the Comboni Missionaries is quite relevant to this theme of Pope Francis, “The Joy of the Gospel”. The 150th Anniversary of the Plan of Comboni coincided with this Papal exhortation. It is encouraging and it brings also enormous challenges to the mission today. I am thinking about the kind of a missionary I should be in the light of these events. How can I or the people I work with experience this Joy of the Gospel? One thing is to preach the Gospel. Another thing is to live it out. A third thing is to be seen as a living Gospel. People are now thirsty to see us at this third level.

CSS - What will be your message for your fellow South Sudanese about peace?

FL - I believe that Southerners by themselves can bring about peace if they have strong will, if they just look behind at the painful journey they made to reach independence. Let people learn how to forgive. If we believe that fire can burn us and burn our houses, then we have to believe also that water can put off fire and can cool our burning bodies. Tribalism is a serious disease. It kills faster than Ebola. I wish we could discover the beauty and the value of unity in diversity. I pray for peace in South Sudan.