From the son of a fisherman from the Congo to the popular pastor in Grafing

Created: 09/16/2022, 14:02

By: Joerg Domke

Faith in Europe is becoming more and more privatized: says Father Mutonkole, who celebrates his silver jubilee as a priest on Sunday.

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The Catholics in Grafing celebrate a double celebration at the weekend: Patronage and the 25th anniversary of their priest, who comes from the Congo.

Grafing –

No: There hasn't been a rush these days in the Catholic rectory.

But a lot has to be organized at the last minute in the run-up to what could be called a double celebration of the Grafingen parish.

The festive service on Sunday from 10 a.m. in the parish church of St. Ägidius marks both the patronal celebrations and the silver jubilee of Anicet Mutonkole.

The native Congolese has been a pastor in Grafing since September 2015;

first as parish administrator, since 2018 as pastor of the Grafing/Straußdorf parish association with its 6,400 members.

“I am very happy to be able to celebrate the anniversary with the community,” says the 57-year-old.

At first glance, this sounds like a polite performance of duty and is not really surprising.

But Anicet Mutonkole, after such a long professional experience, has long known that being a priest is not easy these days.

He personally sees his silver jubilee more as a celebration of thanks for the fact that God has been a reliable companion for 25 years.

When Pastor Mutonkole talks about God, the Catholic faith, the current crisis in his faith community or the current boom in church exits, one term keeps popping up: the community.

"I have the impression that faith in Europe is becoming more and more privatized and the church no longer plays a role," he says.

For him, however, fellowship with other people is an inevitable part of faith.

Just like he was allowed to experience and experience in his Congolese homeland.

"Faith has become more and more a private matter in Europe"

Mutonkole was born the son of a fisherman and fishmonger and a housewife in a place called Mangi.

The family had twelve children, five of whom died very young.

He is left with three brothers and three sisters, with whom we still keep in touch today.

Mutonkole was in Congo just a few days ago to meet relatives.

In 1986 he graduated from high school.

The normal path in the country after six years of elementary school and six years of high school, he explains.

At best, there is something like middle school in larger cities.

However, this did not pave the way for me to join the Catholic Church and study theology.

Because the Catholic father entered into a second relationship with a woman, he was practically kicked out of the church.

For young Anicet this meant that he was not baptized until he was 13 years old - having previously undergone two years of preparation with catechists.

Today's Grafinger well remembers a very special experience at school.

The English teacher wanted to know from the students what they wanted to be when they grew up;

namely in English.

"I just said priest, and everyone laughed," says Anicet Mutonkole, in whose home country the Catholic Church still plays a very important role today.

The comment in English class was actually just a joke.

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Months later, Mutonkole finally accompanied a friend to an interview with a priest, a Polish Franciscan friar.

The Spezl applied for a seminary in the Diocese of Kamina.

"I just said yes and signed up," Mutonkole continues and laughs.

After all, this was the beginning of a vocation for life that continues to this day.

Scholarships in Fulda and Frankfurt

Mutonkole subsequently benefited from a scholarship in Fulda, returned to the Congo and was ordained there first as a deacon and on August 2, 1997 as a priest.

After a year as a chaplain and a year as a pastor, another scholarship followed in St. Georgen near Frankfurt at the end of 1999.

During this time he even did his doctorate in moral theology as well as political ethics and democratization.

Mutonkole has held his PhD since 2006.

From 2004 to 2015 he spent most of his time in Planegg as someone who often had to feel between two worlds emotionally.

In 2007 it all came to a head: "I had to make a decision".

Mutonkole chose Germany.

Knowing to be brought in the Congo of course as well.

And suddenly a person, so to speak, between two worlds

He has been a permanent member of the local archdiocese since 2014 and has also been a German citizen since 2013.

The fact that, as Mutonkole says, he was always welcomed with open arms in both Planegg and Grafing encouraged him to never have to doubt the correctness of his personal decisions.

And it seems that Herr Pfarrer is thinking again of that community that was always so important to him throughout his life.

And is.

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