THIEVES AND BAD PEOPLE

Yesterday we visited the Mission of Saint-Paul de Donguila, built in 1878 by French missionaries. Accompanied by Mr Placide Kombila, the catechism teacher and responsible of the Mission, we took a tour around the place and were even allowed to see the school from the inside. We also admired the views, as the Mission is superbly located on a hill overlooking the vast waters of the Estuary. A spirited trip, this one.

Saint-Paul de Donguila rests around 70 kilometres from Libreville (just take a right turn in Ntoum) and is definitely worth a quick visit, which amounts to a half-day trip. We drove for 1,5 hours (the last 28 kilometres are at times tricky but you see lots of nice villages on the way), and arrived at the Mission at 10 am sharp, just in time for the Mass. Villagers were already slowly climbing the hill on which the lovely church stands, looking at us with unconcealed interest, smiling politely and answering all of our bonjours. Most parishioners were the kids from the Mission's boarding school, wearing their best clothes, and taking up the three front rows. As we entered, and were inevitably noticed by the whole congregation, the singing was already in full swing.

The original idea was to listen to a few songs and silently sneak out in the middle of the Mass to take a look at the Mission. However, the church was hardly full (maybe 30 people, counting several toddlers who kept glancing in our direction), and our leaving would certainly have been noticed by all. We thus stayed the whole Mass, and took part it all the proceedings apart from the Holy Communion (that would've been too much, we thought, but were surprised to see that only two people actually took the Communion).

Trapped as we were in the church, we thought we might as well listen. I tuned in just as the priest was starting his sermon, a simple and straightforward one, directed at simple people with good hearts. He talked about a man who new the Bible by heart, and who was self-confident enough to sit in the front of the church and talk to God. He boldly pointed to another man, sitting at the back, who did not know the Bible, and called him a thief and a bad man. (Inevitably, at this point, the whole congregation followed the priest's hand pointing to his imaginary man, and looked at us, sitting at the back. I almost smiled at waved.) The man sitting at the back, was - surprise! - a fisherman, a humble uneducated fisherman, who did not deem himself worthy to look at God. The Lord, in his love and goodness and fondness of simple fishermen, preferred him to the man who new the whole Bible. End of sermon.

And no, I'm not mocking. I have great respect for all believers and I thought this particular sermon suited the context very well, giving people hope and joy. And after a few more lovely songs in Fang, the Mass was over and we were able to wander around the Mission. I'm not sure, though, how many people (kids, especially) kept seeing us as thieves and bad people, pointed out in church by the priest!

Note: there is not much to do in Donguila, so be careful to arrive in time for Mass, which is definitely a cultural experience. Otherwise, here's what you can see and visit.