Rédaction Africa Links 24 with YO Africa Links 24
Published on 2024-03-04 10:39:06
Dédougou/Pilgrimage: Catholic Faithful Pray for Peace in Burkina Faso
Dédougou, (Africa Links 24) – The Catholic faithful of the Parish Cathedral of Saint Anne in Dédougou, carried out their parish pilgrimage on March 2 and 3, 2024, at the Saint Gabriel Private College in Dédougou. A gesture of faith during this Lent period to pray, praise, and worship the merciful God for peace and security in the Diocese of Dédougou and in Burkina Faso.
This pilgrimage was held under the theme: “On the march towards our centenary, with fervor and dynamism, let us follow in the footsteps of Dii Alfred Diban, a devotee of Mary and a committed missionary.”
During this weekend of the third week of Lent, the Christian faithful of the Cathedral Parish of Saint Anne in Dédougou chose the Saint Gabriel Private College in Dédougou on March 2 and 3, 2024, for their parish pilgrimage.
The pilgrims were divided into groups by basic Christian community and made their way to the pilgrimage site in a procession and in silence. They received several teachings at the site, which constituted a catechesis for a deeper understanding of the Christian faith.
Through hymns of praise, prayers, and adoration, the pilgrims prayed for families, basic Christian communities, parishes, dioceses, and the country for peace, security, and social cohesion.
The various teachings focused on the life of patriarch Dii Alfred Diban, his Marian devotion, his commitment to the rooting of the Catholic faith, the sacraments and their implication in the life of Christians, and the journey towards the centenary of the cathedral parish in 2029.
For Father Edouard Seni, this pilgrimage is an act of faith following in the footsteps of the patriarch in faith, who was one of the first Christians in our country, one of the first lay people who accompanied missionaries as catechists in the early days of the announcement of the Good News.
“Dii Alfred Diban left us a good legacy of well-lived and fulfilling Christian faith. He was able to keep and transmit the treasure of faith he received from the missionaries with zeal, joy, and love,” he said.
Father Edouard Seni pointed out that the secret of his mission lay in his fidelity to prayer, especially in his great devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Similarly, in the teaching on the sacraments and their implication, Father Bernard Sama noted that our churches in Africa are full, but our African countries are the most divided.
He mentioned the causes of this division between faith and realities, which include the injustices observed, the lack of charity towards one another, the lack of fraternity, and the accumulation of beliefs.
Father Bernard Sama urged the pilgrims to strive for a constantly renewed inner conversion.
“The sacraments are not an end but a beginning following Jesus Christ. We should not convince ourselves that by receiving the sacraments, we are immune to temptations,” he insisted.
The Cathedral Parish of Saint Anne in Dédougou was created on December 17, 1929. It is on the path to its centenary in 2029.
To achieve this, its first leader, Father Ferdinand Gnoumou, urged the faithful to renew their faith, to personally commit to charity.
“Everyone is invited to find various ways to respond because there are all kinds of poverty in our society, such as the poverty of love, illness, and truth,” he said.
In his exhortation, Bishop of Dédougou, Mgr Prosper Bonaventure KY, praised the holding of this pilgrimage, which is a moment of faith in the middle of our Lenten journey.
He emphasized the sacrament of reconciliation and urged the faithful to go to confession without embarrassment or fear.
“The sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament of joy through which the Lord manifests his love and mercy to us. This sacrament allows us to have faith in this infinite love of God,” he exhorted.
Bishop Prosper Bonaventure KY stated that the texts of this third Sunday of Lent invite us to visit our inner temple and to build it like the body of Christ.
Burkina Faso Information Agency
SB/hb/yo
Read the original article(French) on Agence d’Information du Burkina
