On 2 June 2026 at Kilobelobe, in the Diocese of Sakania-Kipushi, in the province of Grand Katanga (in the south-east of the DRC), Father Hubert Alone, the provincial treasurer, blessed the site intended to house a large vocational formation centre as well as a house of welcome.
This project, which is part of the Blessed Isidore Bakanja Province’s dynamic to develop its infrastructure, aims to address two major needs in the region: vocational formation of young people and provide accommodation of persons travelling for various pastoral, social or community activities. In a region where many young people struggle to access quality formation that could facilitate their social and professional integration, the creation of a vocational formation centre by the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament would be a concrete response to the challenges of unemployment and precarious living conditions. It is a way of responding actively to the needs of men and women, as indicated in our Rule of Life. The future centre is aimed at becoming truly one of excellence in the region that will be able to form young men and women for the realities of the labour market while imparting the human and Christian values that underpin the Church’s educational mission.
As well as the vocational formation centre, the project likewise entails the construction of a house of welcome designed to support the pastoral activities of the province and the diocese. This facility will provide a suitable setting for organising spiritual retreats, formation sessions, pastoral meetings, seminars and other church-related activities. In his address, Father Herbert Alone recalled that evangelisation is not limited to the proclamation of the Word of God, but also involves the creation of environments that foster encounter, formation and the development of the human person.
In the Christian tradition, the blessing of a building site is an act of faith through which the Church entrusts the work to be undertaken to God. It also expresses the hope that the resources being built there will become instruments of service, solidarity and human development. The Superior of the community, Father Barthélemy Kangu, took part in this ceremony together with those present praying for the workers, engineers, benefactors and all the partners who will support the completion of this vast endeavour.
For the Blessed Isidore Bakanja Province, this project is part of a long-term vision of sustainable development and being bonded to local people. It demonstrates a commitment to strengthen the presence of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament in the fields of education, social development and pastoral care within the Diocese of Sakania-Kipushi. Construction work will officially begin on 3 June 2026.
Father Magloire Makengo, sss
