Life Plan

Missionary Roadmap

A Career and Life Plan

By Arnold Biago

I studied and prepared myself to be a Divine Word Missionary Priest. I received formation and training as a religious missionary priest. I volunteered to work in Africa from 2008 after my ordination and my studies.  This is what I chose to become. The way I will see myself for the remaining 25 years of my life will always be from the optic of my chosen identity and way of life.

VISION

In the remaining 25 years of my life, I envision myself as a Divine Word Missionary Priest sharing my life to the people of Congo in their search for God and struggles for peace, economic advancement, and integral human development.

MISSION

Drawing strength from Jesus, believing in each person’s capacity for self-transformation and desire for a better life for oneself and others, I will take as my personal mission to teach the Holy Scriptures, and Financial Management and literacy, practice and advocate financial efficiency and transparency in ecclesial organizations under my care and guidance and provide directions to improve the organizational structures and financial resources of the SVD province of Congo (and the local Church).

Important Landmarks

To realize these ideals, I am setting up guideposts to direct my journey and indicate my progress. These guideposts embody the various concerns relative to my ministry (career) and way of life (religious priest).

Personal and Spiritual

The consecrated life I have chosen to live takes its force and inspiration from Jesus. Without Jesus, my efforts and work achievements will be shallow and meaningless. This commitment to Jesus is expressed in our common life as members of the Society of the Divine Word. We chose to live as community composed of priests and brothers coming from different nationalities to help one another in carrying out our work of proclaiming Jesus, the Divine Word.

Five to seven years from now, I will ask to participate in the renewal course in Nemi, Italy to prepare for the 25 years of my religious vows and deepen my commitment to the missionary ministry. 

On the occasion of our class silver jubilee in vows ten years from now, we will find a week for a common celebration, to look back, reflect and share our joys and struggles in our different field of engagement.

On a very personal level, in the immediate future, before I went back to Congo in 2020, travel together with my mother and sisters (with their husbands) in any Asian country, to enjoy their company, share stories together and be what we are, a family.

Academic and Professional

This is something new for me. I never thought that one day I will be concerned with managing the limited material and financial resources of our congregation in a country facing many challenges. This new chapter in my life began in 2015.

Congo is a country socially fragmented by ethnic conflict and violence, and politically destabilized by external interests because of its vast mineral and other natural resources. These are the causes of the country’s economic stagnation and lack of opportunities for the young population. I cannot claim to know the country better than the locals, but I see it differently. Aided by their better knowledge, my contribution will be more relevant for the local Church and our congregation.

Pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration is what I needed most to carry out my added new responsibilities of managing efficiently sustainably the material resources of the congregation and the local Church. I hope to finish MBA in 2 years and enroll doctorate courses before going back to Congo by 2020 to work and write my dissertation. In 2022-23, I wish to finish the doctorate in Business Management.

Ten years from now, with a doctorate in Business Management, I hope to contribute to the success of the Church of Congo, introduce into the local market enhanced micro-finance products to small entrepreneurs and craft insurance products for all church workers.

While closely involved in managing the material and financial resources of in the Church, I wish to share my knowledge and experiences to students by holding classes in the catholic university Congo on the field of business and economics.

In fifteen to twenty years, I hope to have shared enough knowledge and skills so that others will continue and improve on what I have started. I wish at this point on to slow down, have less direct involvement in the management of material and financial resources. I hope to devote more time to teaching and mentoring others and giving consultancy services.

Material and Financial

The Church is heavily dependent on the material, financial and human resource contributions of the catholic populations. There will never be enough priests in the Church, and it is better for the Church because the people will get involved and they can do better than us in many other areas.

The Church is not known for transparency. It has often enjoyed the privileged and mystical character of secrecy. This is beneficial for pastoral reasons. However, matters concerning the use and management of material and financial resources, transparency is the most effective method. It will deter many abuses and inefficiencies in the use of material and financial resources.

Decisions on this matter is the sole prerogative of bishops and superiors, and they cannot be held accountable for not acting on it. But there is no harm in trying to introduce the practice of transparency.

In this regards, 5 years from now, I see myself introducing a more transparent financial reporting of all activities within our congregation.

Ten years from now and onwards, with the help of collaborators believing in the importance of transparency in financial activities, I wish to transform our economic entities as efficient sources of revenue able to support our pastoral activities, make some good investments for the retirement and health care of my co-missionaries in the Society of the Divine Word, and manage an insurance company for church workers in Congo.

In twenty years or less, I wish to see all these works taken over and improved by Congolese co-missionaries who are more able and capable by me. By then, I can say to myself and God, its good to see them do better than me, now I can rest.

Pastoral and Ecclesial

I am an ordained priest and not many are ordained. I have my own shortcomings and failures but it would be a great waste to ignore this privilege of ordination. I see it as my sacred duty to respond generously to the demands of ordained ministry as a priest to celebrate the sacraments and teach the people the sacred scriptures (Word of God).

Within the next 25 years, I see myself giving my best in this sacred ministry, accompanying the people fully discover God as he continues to reveal himself in the sacraments and the sacred scriptures.

Physical and Artistic

I learned to play tennis when I entered the seminary. It is good form of exercise, keeps me physically fit, teaches me focus and concentration and allows me to meet and enjoy the company of others. I do not sing and play the guitar poorly, but I enjoy music played on a high-quality sound system.

Five years from now, I see myself continue playing tennis in Kinshasa, and joining a tennis club. I have not done this on my first 8 years in Congo. To enjoy music, I would like to buy myself a high quality portable sound system.

My new work in Africa will bring me to closer to Europe. In ten years, I hope to see the pope in Vatican and see the tomb of Peter.

Fifteen years from now, I will start enjoying quite life. I will write a book and spend more time giving talks on God, Africa and Money.

The Omega

            Many would say with good reason that miracles happen when we have faith, when we trust in God. The truth is, Jesus trusted maybe more than we do for he has entrusted to each one of us talents without even asking for qualifications or guarantee. (See Matthew 25, 14-30; Luke 19, 12-28) What we will do with these talents will determine the kind of person we will become. Jesus said then, “I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.” Jesus will say in the same manner to us now, “Work and achieve, you will have more.”