Blessed Maria Clementina AnuariteDecember 1, SCJ Optional memorial
Blessed Maria Clementina Anuarite Nengapeta was born in December 1939 in Wamba (Congo), in a pagan family. At birth her father gave her the name Nengapeta. After converting to Christianity, while still young she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family, where she was spiritually accompanied by Bishop Wittebols, SCJ. She humbly showed obedience, highly moved by a strong sense of service, active participation and collaboration in the life of the community.
On November 29, 1964 she was taken by the Simba rebels with other sisters and transported on a truck to Isiro. There, on the night of December 1, 1964, vigorously refusing to consent to the evil requests of Captain Olombe, after horrible mistreatment she was brutally killed: “I prefer to die rather than commit sin”. Before falling under the blows of the ferocious Olombe, like Jesus on the cross, she forgave her killer with these words: “I forgive you, because you do not know what you are doing”. She was 25 years old.
