On Wednesday, 29 October 2025, most of the pilgrims, including Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa and Missionaries of Africa, travelled from their various places of apostolate – Jerusalem, Rome, Paris, Marseille, and Toulouse – to the city of Bayonne by plane, car, or train. The organisers, Michel Girard and Cécile Dilé, had been working for a long time to prepare the programme.
Many of the participants discovered Bayonne for the first time and were surprised to find a city that was larger than they had imagined.
Through the symbolic gesture of kissing the ground upon his arrival at the train station, the Superior General of the M.Afr., Stanley Lubungo, demonstrated the respect and gratitude we have for the city of Bayonne, which gave birth to our founder.
Before they could even enter their hotel opposite the Church of the Holy Spirit (where Lavigerie’s parents were married and Charles Lavigerie was baptised), while discussing the next day’s programme, the Fathers were approached by a Bayonne resident and her Senegalese friend who happened to be passing by and overheard them. They showed interest in the programme and promised to come the next day. How welcoming and encouraging!
As we walked to the venue for our evening meal, we passed the square where the statue of our founder stands on a pedestal with numerous quotations inscribed on it. It was raining and dark, but we could see how large the statue was and how important the Cardinal is to this city: the people of Bayonne cannot ignore his name. The statue is close to the city centre.
The meal was organised in a restaurant at the town hall, in the company of representatives from the city of Bayonne (City Council and Tourist Office), members of the founder’s family (descendants of the Cardinal’s maternal aunt, the Latrilhe family), the parish priest, and other organisers. Representatives of the city gave welcome speeches, and all those present were introduced.
The jubilee is an opportunity for the city to deepen its knowledge of Lavigerie through the testimony of his sons and daughters. It is also an opportunity for the pilgrims who are Lavigerie’s ‘heirs’ to enrich themselves with the traces their founder left in this city.
We have already received testimonies of gratitude, such as from the restaurant owner, who was touched by the love shown by an SMNDA sister he met in the past; or from the man living opposite the statue of the Cardinal, who finds strength there when he feels discouraged; and also from the person who said they were honoured by our presence. The mother of Pierre Goadet, who runs the restaurant, is the cousin of our Sister Marie-Vincente Brouca, originally from Bayonne, who now lives in Verrières-le-Buisson. Her name is Maïté and she has been a real ‘mother’ to us, acting as our driver, planning our trips, and of course showing great interest in the whole programme. What an incredible rallying figure she is!
After the meal, a brief meeting was held to finalise the programme for the upcoming days. Some concerns were raised: how many people from Bayonne would take part? How committed would the diocese be? Would it be us, M.Afr and SMNDA only? We were reminded that the pilgrimage was first and foremost for us, that we would experience it in faith and give a good witness of our visit.
Those present then dispersed for the night after the Sancta Maria prayer and the blessing of the Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa, Stanley Lubungo.
By: Gisela Schreyer, Marie-Christine Rousseau and Pierre Petitfour.