100 years of the parish of Pabré,
a sign of grace and hope in a country plagued by insecurity
Ouagadougou (Agenzia Fides) - "All believers must unite for a world more worthy of God, a world where everyone is happy", urged Cardinal Philippe Ouédraogo, Archbishop of Ouagadougou, in his homily delivered during of the Jubilee Mass in the parish of Pabré, a town located 20 km from the capital of Burkina Faso.
Cardinal Ouédraogo invited the Christian faithful to tolerance and a change of mentality to build a better world. "Brothers and sisters, every human being is imperfect. Let us work to be good servants of God. Let us always have faith".
In 1923, 100 years ago, Monsignor Joanny Thévenoud, the first bishop of Burkina Faso, founded the parish of Pabré, followed by the sisters of the novitiate in 1924 and then of the minor seminary in 1925.
When the parish was founded, there were 47 families, 49 young people, 8 girls and 66 children. Since its foundation, the number of baptized has increased from year to year. Many Burkinabe intellectuals have graduated from this prestigious institution.
“We met in Pabré on this 4th Sunday of Lent for an event of great importance. A jubilee is nothing more than an action of grace. Today, we have asked for forgiveness individually and as a community”, said Cardinal Ouédraogo.
"What delights us today is above all the renovation of the church which is the symbol of our jubilee, the symbol of the sons and daughters of Pabré to show their desire to commit themselves more. It is under the theme "Rooted in faith, united with Jesus, let's build our parish" may the parish of Saint Joseph of Pabré celebrates its hundred years of existence.
Together, united in faith. We come from different backgrounds; may our diversity be a richness to move forward and build the community", commented Father Vincent Ilboudo, parish priest of Pabré.
The Jubilee celebrations took place in the presence, among others, of the Prime Minister of the Transition, Maître Apollinaire Joachimson de Tambèla, representing the Head of State, the representative of the customary chief of Pabré, the representative of the local Protestant Church and a Ghanaian delegation.
The parish's jubilee is an important sign of hope for the community of believers throughout Burkina Faso, a country that is experiencing a difficult situation due to the violence caused by jihadist groups that are devastating large areas of the country. Just two days ago, on March 22, a dozen civilian auxiliaries and four soldiers were killed in an attack near Kaya, in the north of the country, where the transitional president, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, was visiting.
Pabré is home to several hundred displaced victims of terrorism, most of whom arrived in 2022, notably from Pobé-Mengao, in the province of Soum.
Source: fides.org