Bishop Mark recently visited the Diocese of Aru, one of our linked dioceses in the global Anglican Communion. The Diocese of Aru is located in the far north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), near the borders of Uganda and South Sudan.
A French-speaking nation, the DRC, was under Belgian rule until it was granted independence in 1960. In the years that followed, the country has been marred by civil wars, political corruption and instability.
The purpose of Mark's visit was to meet with the Archbishop of the Congo, Titre Ande, to affirm our support with the Diocese of Aru and Boga. While there, Mark attended a six-hour ordination service which was conducted in four languages, Swahili, Lingala, French and English. Archbishop Ande jokingly remarked that the service would be, "ten hours long next time."
During a meeting with the Archbishop (see video below), Mark asked what it meant for the Diocese of Aru to be linked with the Diocese of Chester. Titre Ande explained, "It helps our people to understand the Church is everywhere", a sentiment echoed by Mark, adding, "We can too often think that we in England are by ourselves, but we're part of a global Anglican fellowship."
As a 'partial' French speaker himself, Bishop Mark’s proficiency in the local language did not go unnoticed by the people he encountered, and served to strengthen the bond and fellowship between our two nations, separated by thousands of miles, but united in our shared faith.
Video: To view translation captions, click the captions button in the video.
