25 Years of Grace: The Silver Jubilee of Fathers Michaël and Thierry in Madrid

On Good Shepherd Sunday (04/26/2026), the parish community of Dulce Numéro de María (Madrid) experienced a particular joy: celebration of the Silver Jubilee of the priestly ordination of Fathers Michaël and Thierry. Here is what Father Michaël tells us.
"Twenty-five years of ministry is not just a number; it is a story of the Lord's fidelity towards us. It was precisely on April 5, 2001 that the Lord, in his infinite mercy, deigned to look at us with love and call us to serve him as priests. The echo of this holy day still resonates in me, when, in Kitatumba, through the imposition of hands and the prayer of consecration of Mgr. Sikuli Paluku Melechisedech, we were configured to Christ as Priest, Pastor and Servant // The Lord wanted this journey to begin in fraternity, alongside my dear brothers: Thierry Kahongia, here present, Marcel Kavuke Mukosa, Augustin Mbusa Sirimirwa, Omer Kamate Kasyakulu and Gérard Paluku Kyose “He who chose us” (cf. Jn 15, 16). // If I can celebrate twenty-five years of ministry today, it is not thanks to my merits, but thanks to the fidelity of God. The priesthood is not a reward, it is an undeserved gift. days of fatigue, moments of pastoral joy and also nights of silence, the Lord remained faithful as Saint Paul says: “We carry this treasure in vessels of clay, so that it may be seen that such extraordinary strength comes from God and not from us” (2 Cor 4:7). concrete reality of men and women, with their struggles, their joys and their wounds, and if I have learned anything during these twenty-five years, it is that the priest is not the master of grace, but its servant. of money is not turning the page, but renewing our “yes”. Today, before the Lord and his people, we renew our availability: aware of our limitations, but trusting in his grace, we want to continue to serve with a humble, available and merciful heart, knowing that the most beautiful sermon of a priest is his life given. These 25 years are not just a number. They are memories, laughter, learning and, above all, of. love. We look to the past with gratitude and the future with hope, knowing that the best is yet to come.