The wedding celebrant has the most important role — marrying the bride and groom. As the wedding planner, my first question to my daughter was, “Who do you want to marry you?” Without hesitation, she replied, “Father Mbala.”
How We Met
When we first moved to Colorado, we did what a lot of people do, we church hopped to find the right fit. Father Felicien Mbala was a missionary priest from the Dominican Republic of Congo assigned to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, our new church home. A brilliant man (he speaks more than a half dozen languages fluently) with a heart for people, he made a big impact on our lives.
The Question
He stayed at our church longer than normal for a missionary priest, and without family, he shared a couple of Thanksgivings with us where we got to know him better. At the time my daughter told me that there was only one person she wanted to marry them, Father Mbala, his assignment was the University of Colorado in Boulder. When my husband and I asked him to marry Victoria and Rob, his response was immediate — he was honored.
Our Lady of the Mountains
The pastor of Our Lady of the Mountains had no problem with a guest priest, especially since he was not available to perform the ceremony. University of Colorado was not far from Estes Park (about 40 minutes), however, Father Mbala got transferred before the wedding to Breckenridge, quite a distance away. Fortunately for us, he still looked forward to performing the ceremony.
Father Mbala was there for the rehearsal and walked us through what would happen along with Deacon George (the new wedding planner for the church) and his wife. From the bride and groom to those who gave the readings, sang, and participated in the bridal party, we were all clear on the expectations.
On the day of the wedding, we couldn’t ask for a more beautiful and memorable wedding ceremony. Father Mbala clearly had an effect on all of our hearts, and made it especially touching for the bride and groom. We all left with his special blessing.
Thank you Father Mbala! You truly are a reflection of God’s love.
(c) 2018, Karen Van Den Heuvel