By Paschal Norbert
ROME, JUNE 23, 2023 (CISA)- Very. Rev. Fr Ngoa Ya Tshihemba AA, a priest born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been elected as the first African Superior General of the Congregation of The Augustinians of the Assumption – commonly known as the Assumptionists.
Fr Ya Tshihemba was elected on June 12 in Rome during the 34th General Chapter of the Assumptionists, which started on June 1 and will end on June 26,2023. He becomes the 11th Superior General of the 178-year-old religious congregation founded in France in 1845.
The 52-year-old missionary, a native of Kivu in eastern DRC will serve a re-electable six-year term. He succeeds Fr Benoît Grière AA, who has led the congregation for the last 12 years. According to La Croix International, the outgoing superior general was one of eight Frenchmen to lead the Assumptionists; two Americans also held the job in the past.
Fr Ya Tshihemba joined the Assumptionists at the age of 25 and took his first vows in 1996. He studied philosophy in Kinshasa, before being sent to Mexico City, Mexico, to study theology at the Inter-congregational Institute of Formation. He was ordained a priest in 2008 in Kivu.
He later returned to Mexico “and earned a licentiate in pedagogy, defending a dissertation entitled “Evaluation with competence as a tool for improving quality in primary education”. He also spent a year as a parish priest in Mexico City.
Until his appointment, he was the Superior of the Pavel Community and Novice Master in the Philippines. A position he has held for the past 10 years since his appointment in 2013.
In his new role, La Croix writes “he will build on his experience in Africa, Asia and Latin America and begin visiting members of his congregation : 915 professes and 45 novices ,who are spread across 128 communities in 33 countries.”
The fact that he is the first superior general from Africa “is an important sign, but it does not mean a change for the congregation”, Fr Ya Tshihemba said a few hours after his election.
He speaks Swahili, Lingala, French, Spanish and English (in addition to his mother tongue, Kinande). In his maiden speech he said it’s too early to set out his priorities. However, noted that listening to “the cry of the earth” cannot be avoided.
“It’s the earth that suffers, our relationship with the earth that was given to us. It’s a gift that we must take care of,” he explained.
The Augustinians of the Assumption – commonly known as the Assumptionists are the owners of the Bayard group that publishes La Croix. They are present in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, which form the vice provincial of East Africa. In Kenya, they work in the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi at St. Monica Njiru Parish.
Fr Ya Tshihemba, joins in the league of many African missionaries being elected superior generals of their congregations, including Fr Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie MCCJ (Ethiopia), elected in 2015 as Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, Fr Alain Mayama, C.S.Sp. (Congo Brazzaville), elected in 2021 as Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) and Fr James Bhola Lengarin IMC (Kenya), elected in 2023 as Superior General of the Consolata Missionaries.
