Father Jean- Marie is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and was ordained a priest in July 2003, in Kinshasa. He is the Consolata development director in Montréal by way of Éthiopia, where he spent six years, from 2004 to 2010, as a missionary in the field in an arid region. He was a parish priest in Wonji in central Ethiopia, as well as projects coordinator in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS). In this capacity he worked closely with local farmers, overseeing the drilling of wells, ensuring the financing of kindergartens and high schools, and supporting education for orphans and needy children. From 2011 to 2013, Jean- Marie trained further in communications with specialization in Media Studies, earning a Master’s degree from Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya. For Father Jean-Marie, communication has always meant learning languages. He is fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Italian, in addition to four African languages; and he also gets by in German!
In addition to his administrative responsibilities as director, Father Jean-Marie is also in charge of missionary awareness and vocation promotion. Following the path of Jesus Christ and after reading several times Roberts Greenleaf in his famous book: "SERVANT LEADERSHIP", Fr. Jean-Marie likes to be called a servant and not a Boss or Director. With his many tasks and activities – Missionary Days, Mass at the Consolata parish, fundraisers, campaigns, and articles in Consolata Missionaries Magazine – Fr. Jean-Marie Bilwala Kabesa finds Joy in serving others.