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Name: GOMMENGINGER, Louis Charles (Father)
Birth Date: 14.4.1842 St. Moritz
Death Date: 31.10.1890 on board ship off Zanzibar, malaria
First Date: 1882
Profession: Holy Ghost Fathers - LaLaouga & Kilimanjaro Missions - member of HGF party sent to establish mission on the Tana, dep. Zanzibar for Lamu 2/11/1889 - new mission at Ndera mid Jan 1890; Mission abandoned after flooding destroyed station July 1890
Area: Zanzibar, Ndera
Book Reference: North, Mombasa Mission
General Information:
North - arr. EA 3-9-1882; dep. Lamu for Zanzibar 31-10-1890
Henry J. Koren, Spiritan East African Memorial, 1994: He joined the Congregation in 1858 at Langonnet, was ordained a priest on September 22, 1866, and made his vows on August 25, 1867 at Chevilly. After one year at St. Michel's colony for delinquent boys in France, he was sent to Reunion and placed at the Providence Institute. He worked there zealously and with much success among the island's multinational juvenile delinquents. Then when riots broke out in the town, a mob converged on the institute. Although the militia could repel the attackers, the governor of the island gave in to the demand that the institute's inmate apprentices be reduced from about 250 to no more than a dozen. Fr. Charles was then transferred to Mauritius until in 1872 his wish to work in Africa could be granted by an assignment to Sierra Leone. A man of courage and daring, who could face almost any situation without flinching, he made explorations along several rivers to prepare new foundations. When the Superior of the mission fell ill and had to return to France, Fr. Charles became its vice-prefect (under the nominal command of the Superior General as official Pro-Vicar). He travelled to the kingdom of the Ashanti to attempt a new foundation there and then went on to open one at Rio Pongo.
Henry J. Koren, Spiritan East African Memorial, 1994: He joined the Congregation in 1858 at Langonnet, was ordained a priest on September 22, 1866, and made his vows on August 25, 1867 at Chevilly. After one year at St. Michel's colony for delinquent boys in France, he was sent to Reunion and placed at the Providence Institute. He worked there zealously and with much success among the island's multinational juvenile delinquents. Then when riots broke out in the town, a mob converged on the institute. Although the militia could repel the attackers, the governor of the island gave in to the demand that the institute's inmate apprentices be reduced from about 250 to no more than a dozen. Fr. Charles was then transferred to Mauritius until in 1872 his wish to work in Africa could be granted by an assignment to Sierra Leone. A man of courage and daring, who could face almost any situation without flinching, he made explorations along several rivers to prepare new foundations. When the Superior of the mission fell ill and had to return to France, Fr. Charles became its vice-prefect (under the nominal command of the Superior General as official Pro-Vicar). He travelled to the kingdom of the Ashanti to attempt a new foundation there and then went on to open one at Rio Pongo.
In 1879 bad health forced him to go to France for a long rest. He spent it in the Beauvais college community,working as a chaplain and animating the Archconfraternity of St. Joseph, from which the junior seminary of Seyssinet (later transferred to Allex) developed. In 1881 his frequent requests to be reassigned to Africa could be granted and he was sent to the Zanguebar mission. Together with his younger brother Auguste, he sailed on September 3, 1882 for his destination. In December of the same year we find him, together with Fr. Baur and Br. Zenon, in Morogoro after a twelve day inland trek. A short time later, the Frs. Le Roy and Maurer arrived with a caravan of 60 porters and a group of young Christians to help in the starting of the mission. Fr. Charles remained there for seven years and labored mightily; he is the one who should be considered the true founder of the Morogoro mission.
In 1888 he was designated to open another mission in the British-controlled sector of the vicariate. With Br. Acheul he set out on a long trek up the Tana river and, following instructions, settled in an area subject to inundation in the twice-yearly floods of that stream. When the waters rose, they managed to escape and fled down to the coast in an incredibly strenuous, long and perilous joumey by water and land. Exhausted, he became seriously ill with malaria. He died aboard the steamer Elhigpig, which was transporting him from Mombasa lo Zanzibar, just when the ship was within sight of the northem tip of the island.
In 1888 he was designated to open another mission in the British-controlled sector of the vicariate. With Br. Acheul he set out on a long trek up the Tana river and, following instructions, settled in an area subject to inundation in the twice-yearly floods of that stream. When the waters rose, they managed to escape and fled down to the coast in an incredibly strenuous, long and perilous joumey by water and land. Exhausted, he became seriously ill with malaria. He died aboard the steamer Elhigpig, which was transporting him from Mombasa lo Zanzibar, just when the ship was within sight of the northem tip of the island.