Catholic School of the Mission. "I love my Catholic School"

    

Right from the beginning the Institute of Christ the King has been shown by Holy Providence that its apostolate should have a missionary touch. When the first seminarians of the Institute approached Msgr. Gilles Wach, STD, it was not easy to find a bishop to encourage the adventure of a new religious community. At this moment, the situation in France did not seem allow any progress in this direction, but then during a meeting in Paris, Msgr. Wach encountered an African Bishop, His Excellency Msgr. Obamba, Shepherd of the Diocese of Mouila in Gabon. Msgr. Obamba asked our founder whether it would be possible that some of his future priests of his young community could serve as missionaries in his diocese. If so, he would consider to allow the canonical erection of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in the Diocese of Mouila. Msgr. Wach immediately understood the work of Providence and promised to Msgr. Obamba the help of the Institute in the future. From this time on, priests of the Institute have always been present in Gabon, and we have worked with success under Msgr. Obamba under the apostolic administrator and actual Archbishop Msgr. Mve and under the present Bishop of the Diocese of Mouila, Msgr. Dominique Bonnet.

     We have two main missions, one in Mouila itself where our priests are also teaching at the Catholic schools and one in Mayumba in the middle of the jungle. Since the time of its first presence in Gabon, the Institute has restored and constructed several churches and chapels, and also schools, kindergartens, and medical dispenseries. The native population is very attached to our missionaries, and they are deeply rooted to the beautiful tradition of the Latin Mass.

 

 

For our missionaries, Gabon with its murderous climate and always present malaria is a very hard country to work in, but the satisfaction given to them by the openness of the African population, by many conversions, and hundreds of baptisms every year equals the strain on their health and all the hardships they have to endure. We should always keep them in our prayers and not forget that not only the Institute of Christ the King but the whole Church has to be missionary.