Joy in the mission
Father KennedyCHARLOTTE — For Father Yves Ilapi Kennedy, trust in God has always guided him, especially now in a new assignment nearly 7,000 miles from his home.
Father Kennedy has been commissioned by his bishop in the Diocese of Idiofa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to minister to French-speaking Catholic immigrants in the Charlotte area and to help develop the Francophone ministry based out of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Charlotte.
The growing French-speaking Catholic population in Charlotte includes people from Togo, Senegal, Cameroon and particularly Father Kennedy’s home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Many of them have found a new church home at Our Lady of Consolation Parish, where Father Basil Sede – himself from Cameroon – serves as pastor.
But the barriers to ministering to these Catholic immigrants had proven difficult, Father Kennedy and Father Sede note.
“Many of the immigrants found it difficult to understand the Mass in English, and as a result they were leaving the Catholic Church for other churches with African congregations, where they found each other both in language and atmosphere,” Father Kennedy said.
So, some Charlotte-area Catholics from Congo reached out to Bishop José Moko of the Idiofa diocese to describe their situation. Bishop Moko and Charlotte Bishop Peter Jugis discussed the possibility of a French-speaking priest coming to minister here, and Father Kennedy was chosen for the task.
The Francophone ministry is a first for the Diocese of Charlotte – the latest effort in its long-standing commitment to meet the spiritual needs of an increasingly diverse Catholic populace. That diocesan support already includes language-specific ministries to Hispanic, Nigerian, Vietnamese, Korean, Burmese and Hmong Catholics, as well as partnerships with other bishops to serve Ukrainian, Indian, Eritrean and Maronite Catholics who live here.
Father Kennedy was born in Idiofa in southwestern Congo, the youngest of five children in a Catholic family. He studied scientific humanities at the Minor Seminary of Sainte Therese de l’Enfant Jesus de Laba in the Idiofa diocese. He then started his philosophy training at the Major Seminary of Saint Augustin de Kalona and completed his studies at the Catholic University of Congo, where he graduated in 2014. He then studied four years of theology at the Major Seminary of Saint Cyprien de Kikwit. He was ordained a priest on July 15, 2018, in Idiofa.
After ordination, he worked as a formation director and teacher at the Saint Augustin de Kalona seminary for two years, then served as secretary to the bishop and chancellor of the Idiofa diocese until last year.
Since his arrival in the U.S. last November, Father Kennedy said he has quickly discovered the diversity of French speakers in Our Lady of Consolation’s congregation and in the wider Charlotte community.
“The Francophone community was originally intended to be mainly a Congolese community, but it became clear that the difficulties experienced by Congolese were also experienced by other French speakers,” he said. “The diocese decided to include all French speakers in the community, and it now includes people from Togo, the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Senegal, French-speaking Cameroonians and Haitians.”
Father Kennedy now offers Mass in French at 2 p.m. on the first and third Sundays of the month at Our Lady of Consolation Church and is planning to start additional spiritual activities in French for the growing community – including Eucharistic Adoration, regular confession times, retreats, prayer services, and pastoral care for the sick.
“My greatest joy is that I am truly fulfilling my mission as a priest and living it out among brothers and sisters from all walks of life,” he said. “Not only do I lead the people to God, but
I am helping the people understand the true value of the Mass and sacraments. They can easily ask for pastoral assistance without language limitations now. My greatest objective is to bring the Lord and His Church to a greater number of people, especially those who no longer come because of the language barrier.”
Father Kennedy said his devotion to the Eucharist and to the Blessed Virgin Mary helped him grow spiritually – first as a seminarian, and now in his work as a priest.
His work to develop worship opportunities for French-speaking Catholics, particularly the Congolese community, has had the normal ups and downs of a nascent mission. The number of people who attend Mass and Adoration in French varies and sometimes crowds are small, he said, but he views his efforts through the lens of Scripture.
“While I pray that the Lord will make it grow, I remain attentive to the words of Christ, who says that ‘If two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst,’” he said. “It has to be said that the Congolese community is in its infancy and that there is still a lot to do. What we must recognize is that compared with the first day of activities, there has been an evolution in the membership. That’s why I know that this is God’s work and it will continue to grow. I find joy in the mission entrusted to me.”
— Christina Lee Knauss
Want to get involved?
If you would like to participate, support or learn more about Father Kennedy’s new mission to French-speaking Catholics in the Charlotte area, please call Our Lady of Consolation Parish office at 704-375-4339 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..