Martyr in Burundi

Chapter 3. At Rumeza - Burundi (1975 - 1984)

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Catina: a woman of profound faith, with love of God and availability to meet the needs of brothers and sisters in need

Burundi was experiencing some rough political and social times, with oppression and persecution in every day life. Her missionary companion, Erminia Ciaghi, describes those beginnings: “We were at Rumeza, in the diocese of Bururi, under the hospice of the local Bishop, and in collaboration with the Xaverians Giuseppe De Cillia and Ottorino Maule. Our community was made up by the two of us, three young adults from Turin, and our Spiritual Guide, Fr. Ruggero.

I worked with Catina for six years, and I saw a woman of profound faith, with love of God and availability to meet the needs of brothers and sisters in need, no matter their cultural background or ethnicity.  Whenever there was someone to be brought to the hospital in Bururi, some 20 miles journey of rough roads, she would always be available.

Malaria was her companion through these years, but it never stop her from serving others and reaching out to those in need.  She was a patient person, especially as she tried hard to teach the local people the values of integrity, honesty and personal responsibility.  Her faithfulness in little things opened her heart to be faithful in greater things.

We lived a very simple lifestyle in service of the poor.  We would sell clothing and other necessities for a penny, so that at the end of the month we could buy some salt, beans, blankets, gardening tools, to help the most needy families.  At the end of each day, we would come together and pray, and she prayed in thanksgiving for being the Martha of the Gospel, knowing that the joy of her heart was itself a gift from the Lord.”

Catina Gubert: like the widow, she showed profound faith in the Gospel - Painting by Mario Celli

Like the Widow of the Gospel

In the Gospel of Luke, we hear Jesus sharing a parable with his disciples, about the necessity for them to pray always, without becoming weary. "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her, lest she finally come and strike me.'"

The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to God day and night? Will God be slow to answer them? I tell you, God will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:1-8)

Fr. Louis Arnoldi, a Xaverian who worked with the Rumeza Group in 1981, shares his own experience: “I arrived at Rumeza from Minago, and I found many conflicts and tensions between people and the government. Notwithstanding this situation, Catina kept doing her work with diligence. She welcomed me, and shared with me her accounting books of the cooperative and of the Caritas. She was also very aware of the needs of the parish, the liturgical part of it, of young girls in the area, and of the poor.

Notwithstanding this situation, Catina kept doing her work with diligence. She welcomed me, and shared with me her accounting books of the cooperative and of the Caritas. She was also very aware of the needs of the parish, the liturgical part of it, of young girls in the area, and of the poor.
Fr. Louis Arnoldi on
Catina Gubert

In the Caritas, she wouldn’t give nothing for nothing, for she knew the families who could give more, and those in dire need. With the unfortunate, she would be an affectionate mother who gave all of herself, even before feeding them or providing some clothing. When it came to defending the rights of the poor, nothing would stop her; she courageously knocked at government offices in Burundi, and overseas, on their behalf. And she often got what she wanted, or part of it. She was truly the widow of the Gospel.

Through her involvement in the Caritas, she provided prosthesis and rehabilitation to the disabled, often times through many trips to Makamba with a truck load of children. Catina’s faith in her mission was the driving force of her long hours of work and service.  The way God called her to witness with her life was a coherent result of her daily lifestyle.”

And this event, from the pen of Ugo Piccoli, another volunteer, describes her generosity:  “I remember that Easter day, when everyone just sat around the table to celebrate the Risen Christ. Suddenly, a man showed up at the door, asking some help, for his wife was ready to give birth, and needed a ride to the hospital in Bururi. Most of us, gathered around the table, were bothered by this request. But not you, Catina! With few words, you took the car, and went down to Bururi, and came back in the middle of the night, dead tired, but happy to having given a hand to a poor family. You saw in that poor man’s request a true sign of Resurrection and Life!”

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