As a result of a partnership between his Diocese of Mbujimayi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Archdiocese of Denver, Fr. Felicien has been assigned to Saint John as Parochial Vicar. This is his first visit to Loveland, Colorado and he arrived in the United States by way of Belgium after recently earning his doctorate in theology at the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels.  

Fr. Felicien was born in 1958 and raised in a small town not far from Mbujimayi, the capital of the province of East-Kasayi.  He has a large family of four brothers and four sisters. His country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was a former Belgian colony, and consequently the school structure there mirrors the European educational system. Basic schooling consists of six years of primary school and six years of secondary school, which is comparable to the elementary and high school systems in the United States. By necessity Fr. Felicien became fluent in several languages. His local language of Ciluba was used in the primary school system, but French is the formal language of the country and of the secondary school system. English is introduced in secondary school as a foreign language. 

After completing primary school and two years of orientation, Fr. Felicien entered St. Thomas Aquinas minor seminary at the age of 14, much to the astonishment of his father. “He thought I was too young,” said Fr. Mbala. It was only after he successfully completed minor seminary that his father accepted his vocation and encouraged him to persevere by saying, “Go on and take your studies seriously.” Fr. Felicien added that this directive from his father has helped to motivate him throughout his career, especially during times of hardship.  

Fr. Felicien went on to the major seminary and finished three years of philosophy and three years of theology before being ordained in 1984 at the age of 26. His first assignment was as a teacher at the minor seminary of St. Thomas Aquinas where he taught the subjects of French, aesthetics and geography.  In 1986, he was appointed the principal of a large Catholic secondary school with an enrollment of 600 children.  In addition to his administrative role at the school, he also chose to teach English for beginners. “I saw this as an opportunity to improve my English language skills,” Fr. Felicien explained.   

In 1989, he was appointed the assistant, and subsequently became the pastor at St. John Berchmans parish, founded in 1894.  St. John Berchmans was the first church established in the Mbujimayi Diocese and is a large parish with two schools – one for girls and one for boys.  Besides being pastor, he also taught French in the school for girls.  Then, in 1991, he was assigned to the village of Mukeba to organize a parish and build a new church.  He stayed there five years and then returned to the seminary to teach theology for a year before being sent to Belgium to further his education at the request of his bishop. 

Arriving in Belgium in 1997, Fr. Mbala enrolled in the Lumen Vitae Center, an institute devoted to the study and popularization of theology.  After earning an M.A. degree there in Catechetical and Pastoral Studies, he entered the Catholic University of Louvain where he earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in theology. 

While he’s only been at Saint John the Evangelist for a few months, Fr. Felicien says his impression of the parish and the people has been very positive. “The people are wonderful and there is a lot of dynamism in the parish,” he said. “It is very encouraging to be in a parish where the people are so dedicated to the Church.”  Fr. Mbala went on to explain that he looks forward to helping the pastor, Fr. Joe Hartmann, in a number of ministries at the parish that may include devotions, youth ministry, Hispanic ministry and catechetical formation. “I will assist wherever I’m needed,” he adds.     

On his day off, Fr. Felicien relaxes by playing soccer, jogging, and riding his bicycle. Occasionally he goes to Denver and says he is lucky to have a friend, Fr. Simon, assigned there whom he has known since minor seminary. Fr. Felicien explained that he is the fourth priest from Mbujimayi assigned to the area as part of the Diocesan partnership.  

June 30, 2005, marked Fr. Felicien’s 21st anniversary as a priest.  When asked what he enjoys most about his vocation, Father offers an engaging smile and quickly responds, “Everything!”  “The life of a priest is something wonderful,” he says. 

The parish family of Saint John the Evangelist warmly welcomes you, Fr. Felicien, and it is our hope that your experience with us is “something wonderful” as you continue your ministry in Loveland, Colorado.