The project for the presence of our community in Ouagadougou dates back to the year 1995. However, it wasn't until the General Assembly of 2015, which expressed the desire to open this new mission, that the project came to fruition
In 2015, the first contacts with the Archbishop of Ouagadougou, His Eminence Card. Philippe Ouedraogo, who welcomed us warmly, led to the birth of this new community. He entrusted us with a peripheral area of the capital where a new parish would be established.
Four missionaries from our community arrived in Ouagadougou on February 24, 2017. They departed from the community in Yopougon, Ivory Coast, and began their missionary service in Burkinabe land. Father Martin recounts the following:
“We set off from Yopougon at dawn with a van loaded with donated goods to support the opening of the new mission in Burkina Faso. Many wanted to join us and contribute to this new missionary adventure with their presence.”
The arrival was met with a warm welcome, as Annalisa Sanna highlights:
“Upon our arrival, our future parishioners came in a procession to the place where we were staying, leading us with songs and dances accompanied by typical local percussion instruments to the main church. A spot reserved for us was prepared on the choir. After the official welcome, words gave way to dance and song, which best expressed praise to God for the journey we were beginning.”
The early days were very intense, filled with getting to know the reality, studying the local language, meeting with laypeople who held roles of responsibility in the mission, and searching for rental houses to live in.
In addition to their pastoral commitments, the missionaries immediately started working on launching development projects. A study was conducted on the social situation of the area, which helped identify the main issues that people were seeking solutions for. Commitments were made in supporting farmers, women’s literacy, children’s education, and microcredit to facilitate the creation of income-generating activities.
The first years of this mission were also marked by serious health problems affecting some members, which required adaptation to the new situation. Missionary outreach in schools also began, and youth and adolescent missionary groups were formed.
Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo visited the parish and repeatedly expressed his fatherly care towards the missionaries.
