AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - 50 years since first twinning between a French diocese and an African diocese archdiocese of Lyons in France and archdiocese of Koupéla Burkina Faso exchange official visits

Wednesday, 18 January 2006

Ouagadougou (Fides Service) - Representatives of 7 parishes of the archdiocese of Lyons in France twinned with 7 parishes in the archdiocese of Koupéla in Burkina Faso, are making a visit to their African twins 17 - 24 January. The missionary journey led by the archbishop of Lyons Cardinal Philippe Barbarin will mark four important recurrences this year: the 50th anniversary of the ordination as bishop (8 July 1956) of Mgr Dieudonné Yougbarè retired archbishop of Koupéla and the first African bishop of west Africa ordained by Cardinal Pierre-Marie Gerlier archbishop of Lyons; the 50° anniversary of the creation of the then diocese of Koupéla (20 February 1956); 50th anniversary of the first twinning between a French and an African diocese, Lyons and Koupéla; 150th anniversary of the founding of the Lyons Society for African Missions and the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles, congregations to whom we owe the evangelisation of Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo.
The highlight of the visit on Sunday 22 January will be the Koupela annual diocesan pilgrimage and celebrations for the 50 years of service of Bishop Dieudonné Yougbarè, aged 88, bishop of the diocese from 1956 to 1995. During the jubilee celebrations there will be the signing of a “Twinning Charter” to mark 50 years of twinning between a French and African diocese. In Ouagadougou the Archbishop of Lyons will be formally received by the President of Burkina Faso and by the French ambassador to Burkina Faso. In early June on the occasion of the solemnity of Pentecost Sunday Archbishop Seraphim Rouamba the present archbishop of Koupéla with a delegation of Cathoilics from the archdiocese will pay a return visit to the twin archdiocese of Lyons. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 18/1/2006; Righe 21, Parole 283)


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