In the month of September 2024, which marks the resumption of pastoral activities, a look at the Camillian Province of Burkinabé (PCB) arouses grateful feelings of joy and hope: a valuable opportunity to thank God and to re-motivate one’s commitment to spreading the Camillian charism in Burkina Faso and other geographical contexts.

On July 6, 2024, the PCB joyfully celebrated the priestly consecration of Fr. Geoffroy Songabamba SAWADOGO and Fr. Kiswêndsinda Emmanuel OUEDRAOGO, respectively in Kongoussi, in the Diocese of Ouahigouya, and in the Cathedral of ‘Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception’ in Ouagadougou. These ordinations, preceded in June by the conferring of ‘minor orders’ to our confreres in formation (11 lectors and 3 acolytes) and the celebration of the first Camillian Day of Prayer for Vocations, underscore the strong link between prayer for vocations and the ongoing commitment to accompany young people toward the ideal of a full life totally dedicated to the Lord in the service of God’s people.

Quoting a Moaaga saying, “Sâa n ka bùde, ka kiêebd ye” (when you don’t sow, you don’t reap), we can say that the individual and community commitment of commitment, sacrifice and witness constitutes a good vocational seed that the Lord himself then helps to grow.

God is always at work and is always gracious to us. On Sept. 7, 2024, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated in the parish of Saint Camille in Dagnoe. It was an occasion to live the dream of Saint Camillus’ mother (Camilla), which a multitude of young people in procession, wearing the red cross on their chests. During the Eucharistic clebration presided over by Archbishop Paul Yemboado OUEDRAOGO, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bobo Dioulasso, nine novices took religious vows and wore the Camillian religious habit for the first time. In addition, five other confreres made solemn vows, a commitment of definitive belonging to our Camillian religious family, while five PCB confreres celebrated their silver jubilee of religious life, giving thanks to God for his faithfulness that works in their lives and through them animates and consoles the world of suffering.

In his homily, Bishop Bishop Paul Yemboado OUEDRAOGO emphasized that Camillian religious consecration must be lived as a ‘madness of love’ in imitation of Christ who became ‘mad’ to reveal to us the Father’s Love. In this way, the demands of religious vows dispose us for a healthy and constructive relationship with people, which comes from a right and constant relationship with Christ in prayer and service.
The particularity of the group of newly professed is that as many as four of them come from the Diocese of Tenkodogo, bringing to seven the number of Camillian religious from this diocese, which since 2018 also has a parish entrusted to our confreres. We recall that the diocese of Tenkodogo had as its first bishop, from 2012 to 2023, our confrere Bishop Prosper KONTIEBO, recently appointed Archbishop of Ouagadougou.

With these religious professions and the entry into the novitiate of eight novices on September 6, 2024, the PCB, as of today, has 192 members:

– 126 Perpetually Professed (110 Burkinabe, 12 French, 2 Togolese, 2 Burundian)
– 48 Temporary Professed (27 Burkinabé, 8 Haitian, 6 Burundian, 5 Malagasy, 1 Ivorian, 1 Malian)
– 8 novices (3 Burkinabe, 3 Burundian, 2 Haitian)

The PCB also rejoices for the 12 Pre-Novices (11 Burkinabe, 1 Malian), the 16 young people who are living their year of spirituality, and the 100 members of the Lay Camillian Family. Thanking God for this vitality, this intercultural and generational richness, the PCB will be able to face with confidence the various challenges that await it.

The launching of missions in Boalgatenga in Ghana and in Nakar in the Diocese of Diebougou, starting in the pastoral year 2024, marks the hope of a province on the move.

Fr. Albert Théophane Yonli MI