AFRICA/IVORY COAST - Geared for the future: Stigmatine mission in Ivory Coast

Monday, 13 March 2006

Abidjan (Fides Service)- “The suffering of people here increases with each passing day: all they ask for is to live and have the joy of expressing wonder for the marvellous events of every day life” says Fr Lino Poffe, an Italian Stigmatine missionary in Côte d'Ivoire, a country struggling with a serious political and institutional crisis since 2002. “So much time has been lost: development started 10 years ago, has stood still for the past five years . This country was an earthly “paradise” and it has been turned into a place of war and crisis. Now its people deserve peace” the missionary said.
Despite the situation of crisis the Stigmatines are planning the future of their mission in Côte d'Ivoire. In the southern town of Aboisso not far from the country’s economic capital Abidjan a new parish dedicated to the Sacred Stigmata will soon be opened. “It was Bishop Paul Dacoury-Tabley of Grand-Bassam diocese of which Aboisso is part, who announced that 4 new parishes would be opened” said Fr. Flavio Ferrari another Stigmatine missionary. “In the early 1900s there were no more than 2 or 3 missionaries in Aboisso, today there are 12 parishes, thirty priests and about the same number of women religious”.
The new Sacred Stigmata parish it situated on the banks of the River Bià which runs through the centre of Aboisso. The parish has students home with 70 beds which the missionaries hope to enlarge, a Catholic radio station Sanwi Peace Radio and a St John Baptist Spirituality Centre with fifty bedrooms. “The Spirituality Centre is not quite finished but it is in a lovely quiet spot not far from the town” said Fr. Flavio who mentions other plans, a Home for girl students at Ayamé and a kindergarten at Dilby. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/3/2006 righe 26 parole 327)


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