AFRICA/BENIN - The training of seminarians of the Centro de Brésillac of Calavì during the Coronavirus period

Wednesday, 2 September 2020 coronavirus   seminaries  

SMA

Cotonou (Agenzia Fides) - Confinement for everyone, external commitments interrupted, house closed to parish groups and ecclesial movements that spent their days of retreat and formation there. In Benin, the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise. Father Filippo Drogo, a priest of the Society for African Missions, has recently returned to Italy from Calavì on the outskirts of the large city of Cotonou, in the south of the Country.
In a note sent to Agenzia Fides, the missionary describes the context in which SMA seminarians who are engaged in a year of spiritual and theological formation continue to live in the SMA house of spirituality, Centro de Brésillac in Calavì, before leaving for a pastoral training in a mission in Africa. Fr. Drogo accompanies some of them spiritually.
"This year there were about thirty seminarians and life was revolutionized by Covid-19. Even the government of Benin, like almost all African countries, imposed a severe lockdown on its citizens, especially in the large cities of the south. In one way or another, we have reached the end of the year".
The SMA Center has been in Calavi for over thirty years. In addition to welcoming SMA seminarians, it is a point of reference for groups and associations that need spacious and well-equipped rooms for their meetings.
In June alone, infections in the country practically doubled and as of July 13 there were 1,378 cases and 26 deaths. The situation is very worrying and government authorities responsible for health constantly urge the population to comply with safety measures. (FD/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 2/9/2020)


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