Bernward Plenker (+65), member of the KSC Association deceased
Dear friends and supporters of the Kongo Social-Care e. V. association,
Today I have a sad news to tell you. On Wednesday, June 12, 2019 the supporter and member of our association, Mr. Bernward Plenker (+65) passed away. On Whit Monday, 9 June, I called the Plenker family, but unfortunately could not reach them. On Friday I tried again. Again, I was unable to reach anyone. On the same evening, I received an unexpected e-mail with the news of the death of Bernward Plenker. I was very shocked and speechless! Since our annual meeting in 2019 is still pending, it was my intention to talk to Mr. Plenker about the association's work. And then suddenly all thoughts and reflections are irrelevant.
Before Mr. Plenker became an active member on 20 October 2018, he had already generously supported the KSC association from the very beginning. He had participated in the last meeting of „Friends and Sponsors of Congo Social-Care e. V.“ in Krefeld on 9 March 2019. This time he was not alone, he brought his sister and his brother-in-law with him. When he was asked why he supported the association, he replied as follows:
„Father Badi OP has conquered the hearts of many during the time of his ministry in the parishes of St. Christopher's parish in Krefeld [2013-2015]. His unconventional and joyful way of leading the Mass was contagious; laughter - in our part of the world usually reserved for sermons around carnival - was part of his program. The two divine services according to the Congolese rite of mass were virtually rousing. Moved by the very emotional farewell in his last divine service in the Church Herz-Jesu on 31 May 2015, I immediately 'pilgrimaged' to the Sparkasse to transfer an amount to Kongo Social-Care e. V., and was completely perplexed when Father Badi OP stood outside our front door the next day to thank us. That had been our first personal contact and a kind of „door opener“ in a double sense, because in this moment the decision matured to support Kongo Social-Care e. V. permanently.
However, the seeds for this were planted much earlier: during a longer professional post in South Africa in 1989 I was confronted very directly with the living conditions in the townships of Soweto and Alexandra. The poverty experienced directly there on the one hand and the warm personal contact to people from the townships on the other hand, have shaped and motivated me to support projects in Africa. What I particularly appreciate about the Congo project is the fact that a lot can be achieved and moved with manageable amounts of money, measured by European standards."
4th Meeting of Friends and Sponsors of KSC e. V.
The resurrection ceremony took place on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. in the Church Herz Jesu in Krefeld, followed by the funeral in the Bockumer cemetery at 11:00 a.m. in Krefeld.
May angels lead Bernward to Paradise; the holy martyrs may greet him and lead him to the Holy City of Jerusalem. May the choirs of angels receive him.
And we have the assurance one day to be connected with him and all the deceased May we trust in it and draw our consolation.
All the best and God's blessing.
Dr. Dr. Jean-Bertrand Madragule Badi (Pater Badi OP)
Chairman Kongo Social-Care e. V.
Bochum on July 04, 2019