Carmelite missionary kidnapped

The Carmelite Provincial Office in York has just received the news that one of their missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo was attacked by one of the armies operating in the area. The hospital, church and friary of the Carmelite Parish in Nioka were ransacked - "sometime between Christmas and the New Year, " and the parish priest, Fr Mario Serra, O.Carm., was then taken into captivity by the soldiers. Fr Tony Lester, Prior Provincial writes: "Thankfully he was later freed due to the intervention of the local bishop."