Charles Phukuta, CICM
Superior General
Starting with our Founder Théophile Verbist, our missionary life is rooted in a rich tradition of faith, service, and sacrifice. Our missions often serve as bridges across cultures and languages, promoting the values of love, compassion, and hope. While this is immensely rewarding, it also presents challenges. Yet, amid these challenges, signs of hope continuously illuminate the path ahead.
I was in Mongolia for the canonical visit of the confreres when our confrere Renillo Sta Ana, who is in charge of communications, asked me to share the joys, challenges, and signs of hope in our missions. My recent canonical visits and meetings have taken me to Brazil, Senegal, Indonesia, the Philippines, the DR Congo, Cameroon, Malawi, and Mongolia — offering numerous opportunities to listen to and share with the confreres in those countries.
1. Joys of Mission
Our missionary work is a source of deep and unique joy. Confreres find fulfillment in serving those in need, seeing lives transformed, and nurturing spiritual growth within diverse communities. Despite the tumultuous times our changing world is experiencing, we continue to make a tangible difference. Whether it is through building schools in Kinshasa, hospitals in Guatemala and the Philippines, parochial churches, and chapels, or simply providing a listening ear and a comforting presence, our mission brings us joy and a sense of purpose. I want to highlight the confreres’ unwavering commitment, strong sense of belonging, and fruitful teamwork among themselves and with the communities they serve.
1.1. A Steadfast Commitment to the Mission
The confreres’ love for the mission and unwavering commitment are admirable. They engage enthusiastically in the mission because of their faith in Divine Providence and selfless generosity. Their resilience and dynamic approach to the mission are sources of pride and appreciation for all of us. Reflecting on our past, we often discover that our confreres were extraordinary pioneers. Today, many confreres follow in their footsteps, despite difficult financial circumstances and other challenges, such as visa issues, confreres remain joyful and dedicated to their ministry.
During my canonical visits, while I observed a few confreres who may overly prioritize self-preservation under the banner of self-care, the vast majority are true sons of Father Théophile Verbist—selfless and mission-driven. I always reassured them: this is God’s work; God will provide for His mission.
Community Life Brings Joy
For many confreres, the sense of belonging to the community is strong, and fraternal life is evident, even though some may perceive it differently. The atmosphere among the confreres is excellent, despite occasional remarks about interest groups and “nationalism” in a few communities. Today, most confreres live together in small communities, fostering a genuine sense of brotherhood and camaraderie. This sense of belonging and the welcoming atmosphere among the confreres attest to the strength of our healthy community life. Confreres truly value each other's presence and feel connected and appreciated through moments of prayer, shared meals, and enjoyable hours of recreation.
Aside from one community, interculturality is prominent in the communities I visited. The journey is certainly challenging, but the experience is invaluable. “Religious missionaries of different races and cultures, we live and work together as brothers. One heart and one soul, we witness to the Father’s will that all men and women be brothers and sisters in Christ. We are a sign of solidarity among the particular Churches in their universal mission.” (Const. Art. 2).
I felt happy seeing how confreres come together for various occasions: retreats, recollections, ongoing formation, birthdays, anniversaries, and even without a specific reason. Fraternal communion is essential to our missionary life. Although some communities are quite far apart, fraternal communion requires us to support one another and show genuine interest in each other and the work of every confrere.1 Coming together, discussing the future, praying for our people and confreres, and listening to each other’s stories bring joy and provide us with hope and strength.
1.2. Faith in Action for Community Building
In conversations with confreres, many shared their joy in seeing the Gospel reflected so vividly in the lives of those they serve. One way they embody faith is through community building. As religious missionaries, we live out our fraternal communion among the people to whom we have been sent.2 Many confreres are dedicated to fostering bonds of unity and love, creating strong, supportive communities rooted in faith. I observed this in places like Mako and Sébikhotane in Senegal, Erdenet in Mongolia, Balai Bib in Cameroon, and other missions. Most confreres emphasized how the culture of the people enriches their lives, viewing their immersion in the host cultures as opportunities for learning, growth, and mutual respect. This cultural enrichment also brings them joy as they maintain close relationships with the people, minimizing clericalism, and striving to communicate in the people’s language. Based on my observations of the confreres interacting with the people, I can say that in many missions, their approach is rooted in pastoral closeness; their pastoral style reflects simplicity and proximity, setting an example for all of us.
2. The Challenges of Missionary Work
Our missionary work presents challenges. From material needs to spiritual dilemmas, life in the missions requires a constant balance. Here are some of the challenges I could see.
2.1. Language Differences, Unfamiliar Customs, and Food
Among the challenges are cultural barriers, such as language differences, unfamiliar customs, and food, and diverse worldviews that can impede effective communication and connection. Limited knowledge of the local language leads some of us to distance ourselves from the local people due to our fear of speaking in a language we have not yet mastered. Nevertheless, most confreres are fluent in the local languages and have embraced the local cuisine and way of life.
2.2. The Danger of “Marthalism’”3
While many spiritual activities are organized and encouraged, these must be rooted in the confreres’ community prayer life. In some communities, there are many activities but too little time for prayer. We must remember how Jesus Himself often withdrew for prayer, even amid healing and preaching.
Pope Francis warned against “Marthalism,” the tendency to immerse oneself in work and neglect “the better part” (Luke 10:38-42). He reminded us that Jesus called His disciples to rest (Mark 6:31), and without prayerful rest, we become agitated and ineffective.
Are we the ones saving the world? Or are we instruments of God’s plan? We can only give what we have.
Father Charles Phukuta led an animation activity for schoolchildren.
2.3. The Need to Revitalize Our Pioneering Spirit Despite the Limited Financial Resources
Limited human and financial resources often hinder the sustainability of long-term projects and the ability to address people’s immediate needs, leading to frustration and discouragement for some. In certain communities, I’ve heard that our missionary pioneering spirit and boldness are waning, and the expansion of marginalized areas should prompt us to reconsider our presence in view of missionary outreach in other existential and geographical peripheries.
In today’s comfort-oriented culture, we may see difficulty as something to avoid, but our Founder and the early Church teach us that growth often comes through hardship. We’re not called to seek suffering, but to find God at work even in difficulty like Philip venturing into Samaria (Acts 8:4-25), let us be willing to cross cultural or social barriers to connect with people who are different from us, and follow the example of the believers who remained in Jerusalem to care for the church and bury Stephen (Acts 8:1-3).
2.4. The Need to Strengthen Our Sense of Belonging
The loneliness of being away from home, family, and familiar surroundings can weigh heavily on missionaries. Our missionary efforts to spread the Gospel can also face resistance, hostility, or indifference, leading to feelings of discouragement or failure. Additionally, rejection and conflict may arise within the community of confreres or with the larger community, which includes parishioners and other collaborators. I am very pleased that there are only a few places where a confrere lives alone in all the missions I recently visited. In Senegal, for example, no confrere lives or works alone. Some confreres do not engage in the Province community life because they prioritize their own agendas and seldom attend confreres’ gatherings. It is essential to value the Province's life alongside our assigned apostolates. Without a love for our Province, we risk stumbling.
These challenges and other aspects of missionary work test our resolve and faith. Overcoming them requires dialogue and harmony among the confreres and the provincial leadership, as well as creativity, perseverance, and unwavering faith in God’s providence, as our Founder, Theophile Verbist, demonstrated. Likewise, despite these strains, while some spend their time complaining and blaming, most confreres find solace in prayer, community support, and the belief that their struggles have a higher purpose. When God entrusts us with a mission, He will provide the means to accomplish it. However, we must first trust the Lord and have the courage to navigate stormy seas.4
3. Signs of Hope
Despite the challenges, signs of hope emerge, serving as powerful reminders of the impact and importance of our mission. As a primary sign of hope, I want to highlight the presence of the Holy Spirit and the centrality of the reign of God. We cannot approach the question of evangelization today without considering two essential elements of the current vision: the presence of the Holy Spirit in our world and the centrality of God’s Reign in the mission of the Church. Our faith in the action of the Holy Spirit significantly influences how we carry out our mission of evangelization. The Holy Spirit is always at work everywhere, even before our missionary presence in each mission. This fosters an understanding of missionary life that includes a contemplative dimension regarding the presence and actions of the Spirit of the Risen Christ among the people we are sent to share the Good News with. The mission is not ours; it is God’s.
The role of God’s Reign in our evangelization efforts is essential. Jesus never defined the Reign of God, but the disciples understood that He manifested it through His identity, teachings, and actions. Among the essential elements is how Jesus helped everyone find their place in the community by accepting and reintegrating marginalized groups from society. Jesus’ prayer life reveals our need for prayer and invites us to commune with God. Jesus’ attitude toward Jewish Law emphasizes that the only absolute is God, who embodies love, mercy, and forgiveness. Additionally, Jesus’ healings and exorcisms are presented as signs of God’s presence among us, and he also came to transform relationships within the community.
There is also dialogue and solidarity. Collaborating with different religious groups to fulfill our mission reflects solidarity and our shared humanity. Whether through prayer, donations from organizations like Missionhurst Promotion, volunteering, or any support from the global Catholic community, this engagement strengthens the confreres’ ministry, ensures sustainability and lasting impact, and instills hope. These and other signs of hope serve as beacons, encouraging the confreres to persevere and remain resilient in confronting challenges.
4. Final Exhortation
These visits allowed me to witness confreres facing joys, challenges, and hopes with remarkable resilience. The path is steep, but the spiritual and communal fulfillment is great. Their dedication reminds us of the Gospel’s message: in service, we discover our shared humanity and divine calling.
Paul reminded the Philippians that faith includes suffering: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Phil 1:29).
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, let us be inspired by the early Church. May our hardships draw us into deeper faith and renewed zeal.
“May the Spirit grant us strength.”
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1 CICM Const., Art. 50.
2 CICM Const., Art. 49.
3 Addressing the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, clergy, religious, and laity who are his close collaborators on December 22, 2014, Pope Francis urged them to acknowledge any sin they may have committed “in thoughts, words, acts or omissions” in a catalog of what he called 15 diseases, one of which is Marthalism.
4 Reflections on the texts of our Founder. On the occasion of His 200th Birth Anniversary, Rome, 2023, p. 4.
