FOREVER YOUNG

SAINTS WHO DIED YOUNG

ISIDORE BAKANJA 1887–1909

Isidore Bakanja was born in northeast Zaire sometime between 1885 and 1890. Becoming a Christian at 18, he was taught the faith by Belgian Cistercian monks from the Abbey of Westmalle, who had come to the region not long before. Isadore was an eager pupil and took on board all the monks taught him. He was especially devoted to the Mother of God, saying the Rosary frequently. He carried his beads with him and wore the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

In search of employment, Isadore made his way to a nearby town. He also wanted to find some companions in his new faith, as few local villagers were Catholics. He found work as a houseboy with the agent of a Belgian company that controlled many of the rubber plantations in the town. Many of the Belgian bosses strongly opposed the church on account of the missionaries' defence of the rights of the native people.

Although of a quiet nature, Isidore's enthusiasm for his faith made him eager to share it with his fellow workers. This did not make him popular with his employer, who refused Isidore's request to be allowed to go home. Instead, he was told to get rid of his scapular and stop teaching his fellow workers to pray. "You'll have the whole village praying and no one will want to work," the agent shouted at him. When he didn't throw away his scapular as ordered, Isidore was flogged.

Some time later, the agent became violently angry. He attacked Isidore, tore the scapular from around his neck and threw him to the ground. He then ordered two servant boys to hold him by his hands and feet while instructing a third servant to flog him with a whip made of elephant hide with nails protruding at the end. Isidore cried out for mercy. The boss continued to kick the boy and ordered the servant to continue the whipping. Isidore's back was an open wound by now, and he was thrown with his legs chained into a hut. Since an inspector was due to visit, Isidore was told to hide in another village. He staggered along but fell by the wayside and hid in the forest.

Eventually, he met the inspector, who was horrified by what confronted him: "I saw a man come from the forest with his back torn apart by deep, festering, malodorous wounds, covered with filth, assaulted by flies," he wrote. "He leaned on two sticks in order to get near me – he wasn't walking; he was dragging himself." The perpetrator now appeared and tried to kill "that priest's animal," but the inspector physically prevented him. He took Isidore to his own settlement, but the young man knew he was dying. "If you see my mother, or if you go to the judge, or if you meet the priest," he said, "tell them that I am dying because I am a Christian."

Isidore received the last sacraments. The missionaries urged him to forgive the agent. "Certainly, I shall pray for him and when I am in heaven, I shall pray for him very much." Isidore lingered for six months. He died on August 9, 1909, rosary in hand and his scapular around his neck. He had been a Christian for just two years.

Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1994. "You showed brotherly love to all, without distinction of race or social class; you earned the esteem and respect of your companions, many of whom were not Christians."

His feast is celebrated on August 12.

Reality

Volume 86. No. 7 September 2021 A Redemptorist Publication ISSN 0034-0960

Published by The Irish Redemptorists, St Joseph's Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk County Louth A91 F3FC Tel: 00353 (0)1 4922488 Web: www.redcoms.org Email: sales@redcoms.org

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