Notes from Rome By the Most Rev. Joe Roesch, MIC Here is Fr. Joseph’s story, in his own words: “On Sept. 8, 1988, I became the first-born in a Catholic family that would grow to four boys and two girls. My father died when I was 10, while my beloved mother died two years before my ordination to the priesthood in 2016. “In my culture, it is said that ‘the firstborn son equals his father!’ In the absence of his father, the eldest son assumes the father’s responsibilities. He is culturally obliged to get married to assure the continuation of the family line by providing descendants. Many thanks to my family who encouraged me to follow the path of God’s will instead of turning away from it. “After my first Communion, I became an altar boy. It occurred to me that I could become a priest. At the end of my primary school, with my mother’s encouragement, I applied to continue my education in a diocesan minor seminary. But then I thought about becoming a journalist to help people to know the truth. I was disgusted with what had happened in my country prior to the genocide of 1994, especially with journalists who made the situation worse by telling lies to people. I wanted to help cleanse this shame by spreading the message of truth to the Rwandan people. “But then my best friend persuaded me to not give up on my first wish. ‘There is no journalist who is heard more than a priest,’ he said. ‘A priest is a journalist of Christ.’ I prayed to discover God’s will for my life. Eventually, I joined the Marian Fathers. I am very happy to be part of this Congregation that constantly helps me to improve my relationship with God and neighbor, to contemplate the truth in Jesus, and to become His messenger in society. “I was ordained on July 15, 2018. I have experienced in my ministry the misery of a people who need to be listened to, consoled, healed, and reconciled with themselves and their history by giving themselves a second chance. The great challenge here is to get people to trust in the man of God, ‘the priest,’ in a society torn apart by ethnic ideology. “Our Congregation is for me a fountain full of grace that I discover daily. I am happy to be transformed by our charism which shows me the way to fulfill the will of God in my life and invites me to fulfill it together with my brothers in community life. “I came to Rome in June 2022 to study Mariology. This subject allows me to learn more about Mary, who is very close to us as a Marian congregation. It is also a heavenly answer to my desire to delve deeper into the message of Mary’s apparitions at Kibeho in Rwanda. Like the Mother of the Word, I want to see her message proclaimed to the whole world.” Our Lady of Kibeho, pray for us and for new vocations to our Congregation! A FOUNTAIN FULL OF GRACE In this issue, I would like you to meet Fr. Joseph Mukasa Musoni, MIC, a Marian from Rwanda. The Marians established their Rwandan mission in 1984. Among the places we serve is Kibeho, the site of the first fully approved Marian apparitions in Africa. Our apostolate concentrates its work on formation of the young people, the spreading of Marian spirituality, and working for peace and reconciliation through helping victims of the fratricide. The Most Rev. Joe Roesch, MIC, is the superior general of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. He lives in Rome. Listen to his podcasts, including “Saint Faustina’s Diary in a Year,” on TheDivineMercy.org/podcasts and DivineMercyPlus.org/podcasts. Marian Helper • Fall 2023 • Marian.org 7 Father Joseph Mukasa Musoni, MIC, shares about his walk with the Lord.
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