Golden Jubilee of Father Abílio Simães in Kinshasa

In a church packed with the faithful, Father Abílio presided over the Eucharist in the presence of some of his Comboni confrères, who joined him in giving thanks to God for all these years of service to the Church and the mission.

In his homily, after commenting on Sunday’s readings, Father Abílio emphasised the significance of the ministerial priesthood: “Christ wanted men to participate in his priesthood through baptism and holy orders, and he gave me the grace of the ministerial priesthood for the sanctification of God’s people.” His thought was clear: the priest consecrates himself to God to serve his brothers and sisters.

In his words of thanks, Father Abílio expressed his joy for the faithfulness God has shown him during his 50 years of priesthood and for all the support he has received from the parish community.

Two highlights of the celebration were the short speech of the Vice Provincial, Father Henri Likingi Wasato, and that of one of the members of the office of the Living Ecclesial Communities (Cev – Communautés ecclésiales vivantes) of the Divine Mercy Parish, of which Father Abílio is curate since 2020. Father Henri praised Father Abílio’s love for the mission and for the Congolese people to whom he has dedicated a good part of his life. The Cev representative, on the other hand, spoke of the great witness of life given by Father Abílio, presenting him as “a missionary with a simple, humble and always helpful lifestyle.”

The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a fraternal meeting in the Kimwenza community.