Martyr in Congo

Chapter 6. A total “Yes” to the Lord

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Br. Victor working to build the Sisters House

I have been sent here to provide for the large Theology seminary. The Superior had to leave for Belgium for an operation which, thank God, was successful. I am now helping the acting Superior. On December 8, I will make my Final Profession. It will not be as solemn as it would be in the Motherhouse in Parma, but the essence is the same. This profession is the final consecration of my entire life to the Lord. I am aware of the serious nature of the step I am about to take. Only the Lord who has called me to his service can grant me the gift of final perseverance.

In the meantime, four Rwandan brothers have come to Baraka to look after the school. We plan to start building the church next month. Our bishop traveled to Rome today to take part in the Second Vatican Council. I wrote to the Superior General this month and shared some of my personal thoughts with him. I informed him that, after a long period of reflection and prayer, I have decided to apply for admission to Final Vows; I am now convinced that this is God’s will for me. I cannot wait for the day to arrive so that I can offer my life totally and irrevocably, as our Founder would say, to Christ for the salvation of souls. Never more than today have I understood what Jesus said: “Whoever puts his hand to the plow must not look back”. (Murhesa, September 1962)

The sisters’ house

I have been moved once again, this time to Kiringye in the plains. Though I am no longer in the vicinity of lake Tanganika, this is still one of the most beautiful spots in the diocese. I have come to build a house for the sisters. I have more than 30 workers to help me, but sometimes it is difficult to get them to work, even though some of them are responsible and hard working. As in many parts of the world, people here favor the philosophy that advises one: “Don’t do today what someone else can do tomorrow”. The majority of the workers declare themselves to be Protestants. From early morning until late afternoon, I work with the tractor transporting the necessary building materials.

Rain in recent weeks has slowed our progress, but we are now in the final stages and I expect the sisters to take possession of their new house before the month of February. On October 11, we listened to the radio broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Second Vatican Council. It was very moving to hear clearly the voice of Pope John XXIII from a distance of over 5,000 miles. On the same day, at 10 am, together with all the cathedrals around the world, the rudimentary bells of our own little mission rang out. I send my best wishes for Christmas to everyone in Italy and thank you for all the help you send to the missions (including the new and old clothing)”. (Kiringye, November 1962)

The “thrill” of a shipwreck

I have been in Baraka for a little more than four months to supervise the building of the church and the priests’ house. The bishop himself appointed me to this task. The last thing I did before leaving Kiringye on February 23 was to hand over the keys of the new house to the sisters. In these recent months I have made frequent trips back and forth between Baraka and Uvira to purchase the building materials we need for the project. Lately, lake Tanganika has risen by about 6 feet and has flooded a good part of the road along the coast between Uvira and Baraka; consequently, the only way to travel is across the lake itself. 

On December 8, I will make my Final Profession. It will not be a solemn celebration, but the essence is the same. This profession is the final consecration of my entire life to the Lord. I am aware of the serious nature of the step I am about to take. Only the Lord who has called me to his service can grant me the gift of final perseverance.
Br. Victor Faccin

On the night of March 18-19, during one of these boat journeys, I experienced the “thrill” of a shipwreck. I had got on board in the afternoon of Tuesday 18 to travel from Uvira to Baraka, just as the waves were getting higher. We had no problems while daylight lasted, but when darkness came, visibility fell to zero. The boat began to pitch and roll, and the helmsman lost his balance. Luckily we were near the river bank.

The captain (who is also owner of the boat) took over the helm and in ten minutes managed to steer the boat among reeds where we could seek some refuge. Around 9 pm, we tried to set sail again but the storm prevented us from doing so. We therefore spent the night in the middle of the lake, covering ourselves with a metal sheet, while water came in from all sides of the boat. We were soaked to the skin when we arrived in Baraka the following day at noon. In normal conditions the trip would not have lasted more than four hours. We owe our safety to Our Lady and our Guardian Angel. We blessed the first stone of the new church in Baraka on May 23. Over the last weeks I also supervised the completion of the house of some teachers who teach in a mountain village”.  (Baraka, June 1963)

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