Our Founder
Bishop Etienne Larue was born at St. Christophe in Brinnais in France on 11th June 1865. He joined the society of the white fathers and was ordained a priest on 28th May 1891 in the basilica of St. Louis in Carthage and was appointed professor at St. Anne seminary in Jerusalem. On 30thAugust 1899, he left Jerusalem for the seminary of philosophy of the white fathers at Binson, in the diocese of Reims in France.
On 1st July 1902, he took the boat at Marseilles and sail to the vicariate of Nyasa. The vicariate of Nyasa included dioceses in what is now Malawi and the dioceses of Kasama Archdiocese, Mpika diocese, Mansa diocese and Chipata diocese in Zambia. He arrived in Zambia particullary Chilubula on 24th September 1902 and took the charge of the mission. Later on 12th October 1095 he left Chilubula for France where he remained until November 1907. In 1908, he was reappointed back to Chilubula to be the secretary and councillor of Bishop Dupont while he was bursar of the vicariate of Nyasa. In 1909, he was appointed regional superior of the white fathers in the vicariate of Nyasa. In 1912 when the Holy See divided the vicariate of Nyasa into two (Zambia and Malawi) and the Bangweolo in Zambia. In January 1912, Bishop Etienne Larue was appointed titular Bishop of Turburbo and was consecrated on 1st April 1913 at the cathedral of Autun by Archbishop Villard. He was the first vicar apostolic of the diocese of bangweolo succeeding Bishop Joseph Dupont who retired in Europe.
Bishop Larue's spiritual last WILL
In union with our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, I declare to die for the salvation of the souls in the vicariate of Bangweulu that the holy church committed to my frailty. I mean all the souls, Catholics and pagans alike, and I beseech them all for the last time to have in view, throughout their lives, only one thing: to do God's will for their own salvation.
I thank all the missionaries of Bangweulu for their devotedness in the salvation of these dear souls. My last prayer here on earth for them is that they remain always united in the love of Christ and of his church form which derives the fruitfulness of all apostolate. With all my heart, I give to all and each one of them the grace of union which will bind them together in the blessed eternity.
To the society of the white fathers and mainly to those who have been my superiors and fellow workers in the apostolate, I express my last and deep gratitude for all the good they have done to me with their advice and encouragement. I beg their pardon for all the wrongs and troubles I caused them. I renew my desire of dying in the love of God our father. I recommend my poor soul to the prayer of all missionaries, neophytes (my children in faith) and I abandon myself to divine mercy. Amen