Stagiaires Meeting in Bobo-Dioulasso, 17th to 24th February, 2025
The author of the Acts of the Apostles recounts the experience of the early Christian Church when he says: Every day, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the common life, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts of the Apostles 2, 42.46).
With this spirit, the 19 stagiaires on mission in the PAO province met at our residence in Sector 25, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Right from the first day of our meeting, Father Pascal Imani, the vice-provincial, firmly urged us to make this a time to share the experience of our apostolic stage, discover, pray, and rest. This article shows that this period was indeed a fruitful one towards the realisation of the points mentioned.
Sharing: it was a time characterised by openness and listening. This sharing enabled us to draw on our particular experiences at our respective places of stage. We emphasised the experience of the warm welcome we received from the PAO, the joy of community life, the witness of the Gospel, the encounters we made and the adaptation to other cultures. We also shared our challenges, and this was a privileged moment for us to encourage each other and rediscover a taste for the mission. It was a time to learn from each other.
Discovery: the meeting opened us up to the different realities of our host communities, giving us a broader perception of the mission. Listening fraternally to each other’s stories opened our eyes to the various ways in which God works in each of us. It was a profound confirmation that God does not abandon us, having promised to be with us until the end of the world (Mt 28:20). At the same time, it helped us to discover the different cultures and languages we find ourselves among. Nevertheless, we were marked by our efforts to adapt, prudence and patience, animated by charity, as recommended by Cardinal Charles Lavigerie to “unite prudence, patience and charity to the exercise of your zeal”.
Prayer: inspired by the nature of our spirituality and the words of Cardinal Lavigerie on prayer: “Our weapon is prayer, and our duty is charity”, this period was also a time of prayer. It was a time to fortify ourselves spiritually through Mass, praise, vespers and personal prayer.
Rest: having left our host communities and various responsibilities, we needed to rest at the end to regain our strength and continue the stage. It was a time of fraternity, friendship and family joy. We also had the opportunity to visit the novitiate in Bobo, and at the end of the meeting, we went on an outing, something for which we are also grateful.
Finally, we thank God for his grace. For us, it was a very fruitful week of discovering new realities, a sacred time to rediscover where we had left off, a time for prayer, and a time for rest. We are very grateful to Father Pascal Imani and Father Edward Kaba for accompanying us throughout our week-long meeting. We are equally grateful to the province and to all the people of goodwill who made this meeting possible. May God’s Holy Spirit watch over us.
By: London Antonio Kell & Albert Mazimba Lotty, stagiaires