Agenzia Fides

Thiès (Agenzia Fides) – After a brief illness Bishop Jacques Sarr of Thiés died on 18 January at age 76. As communicated by the national board of the Pontifical Mission Society in Germany, Missio München, he was admitted to a clinic in Senegal. “With Bishop Jacques Sarr we lose a very trustworthy and warm partner,” said Father Eric Englert (OSA), Chairman of Missio München, expressing his sorrow at the death of the Senegalese Bishop.
For 24 years Bishop Sarr was part of the governing body of the diocese of Thiès, east of the Senegalese capital Dakar and he has been chosen to be the central figure of the 2011 campaign for the missionary month of October for the Pontifical Mission Societies in Germany. He said in a recent meeting that he considered this task, “an honour and a commitment.”
Among his priorities Bishop Sarr counted interreligious dialogue and working for the self-sufficiency of the Church in Africa. In collaboration with the Pontifical Mission he also initiated a formation program for priests, religious and laity in his diocese.
He always considered the problems of the Church not far from the reality of the times: “The challenges of the Church are the same as those which confront society,” he loved to say. (MS) (Agenzia Fides, 21/01/2011)