AFRICA/BURKINA FASO - Seven new Camillian priests close to the service of the poor, the sick and those in need of comfort

Saturday, 11 July 2020

AM

Ouagadougou (Agenzia Fides) - Despite the serious precariousness that continues to rage in the Country due to the Covid-19 pandemic (see Fides, 4/7/2020) the Camillian religious family of Ouagadougou welcomes seven new priests.
Close to celebrating the feast of St. Camillus de Lellis, scheduled for July 14, according to what was written to Agenzia Fides by Father Antonio Menegon, MI, responsible for Madian Orizzonti Onlus, an association that operates in Italy and in the Camillian missions abroad, on Saturday, 4 July four Camillian religious were ordained priests in the Cathedral of Ouagadougou. Three are from Burkina Faso (Fr. Alain Kabore, Fr. Pierre Nare and Fr. François de Sales Sam) and four are from Haiti (Fr. Welby Lagrenade, Fr. Maxo Jean Charles, Fr. Guilaire-Joubency Blaise and Fr. James Jean).
"The four Haitian religious followed the path of formation and theological studies in Burkina; they should have been ordained in Port au Prince on July 12th, on the occasion of the feast of St. Camillus and the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the mission, but because of the Coronavirus they were unable to reach their Country to celebrate this important moment in their human and religious life".
The new priests celebrated their first mass on Sunday 5 July, and hope to celebrate again with their family members, Camillian religious, the sick in the Foyer Saint Camille, the disabled children of the Foyer Bethléem and their friends. "As soon as flights resume - explains Fr. Menegon - they will return to their land to put themselves at the service of the poor, the sick and those in need of comfort".
In addition to the pandemic, episodes of exacerbating violence continue in the Country. According to the US non-governmental Human Rights Watch organization, 180 people were reportedly subjected to summary executions by the military. The bodies were found in a mass grave in northern Burkina Faso, near the northern city of Djibo, which has for months been the scene of clashes between armed groups of jihadist origin and the Burkinabé army. (AM/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 11/7/2020)


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