Burkina Faso: “When a catechist’s family has food, then the whole community has something to eat”
The Diocese of Nouna thanks ACN for supporting catechists.
Thanks to the help from ACN, the Burkinabé Diocese of Nouna has been able to supply six months of basic foodstuffs to 30 internally displaced catechists in the parishes of Nouna, Solenzo and Saneba, so that they can feed their families and help other people in need.
“In the name of his excellence, Bishop Joseph Sama, and the various priests of the parishes which have benefitted, we convey our deep gratitude for your support and are united in prayer with their mission, so that our world can live in peace,” said the diocesan treasurer, Bertin Namboho, to the international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need.
Given the precarious living conditions which terrorism has caused in Burkina Faso, this help is a true source of comfort and hope. The diocesan treasurer reports that “nothing but blessings and a litany of thanks to the donors has come out of the mouths of the catechists”. He emphasises the essential role of the catechists, who support people’s faith in these difficult times and help them in their daily lives. “The family of the catechist is the heart of the Christian community,” he says. “When the catechist’s family has something to eat, then the whole community has something to eat.”
Emmanuel is one of the catechists who because of extreme poverty is numbered among the beneficiaries of the food aid. He describes the joy of the whole family on receiving rice, maize, beans and oil: “What we are receiving today feels like a dream, for since we left our village, we have lost everything. When the priest told us that there was help for internally displaced catechists, we were so happy…” For the father of two, who has taken in three of his nephews, supporting other people in need is an expression of faith: “The catechist’s house is everybody’s house. We will also be able to share with those who are in need, because when you receive, you must also share. Freely you have received, freely give, says the Gospel. We thank all the donors. God bless them and give them peace.”
ACN, which is dedicating its Christmas and New Year’s campaign to supporting persecuted Christians in Burkina Faso, has been supporting the country’s catechists for many years.
