Plans Underway for Continental Congress on Divine Mercy in Burkina Faso

The congress will also aim to deepen the knowledge of Divine Mercy, to promote the experience and practice of Divine Mercy in Africa, Madagascar and the whole world, the Cardinal who is also the President of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) said.

Organized in the form of conferences and panel discussions, plenary sessions and workshops with a few moments of reflection, the Congress will also provide an opportunity for rediscovering how and in what way Divine Mercy constitutes a grace and a force to face and take up the challenges of our time, especially in Africa and Madagascar. 

"In its liturgical dimension, the Congress will include Eucharistic celebrations, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the sacrament of reconciliation, the hour of mercy and a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Yagma, (a village in the Zam Department of Ganzourgou Province in central Burkina Faso) ," the Burkinabé Prelate said.

At the beginning of November, organizers of the Congress have planned to an Evening of Mercy and a day of prayer for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in or around Ouagadougou on November 10.

“The evening of Mercy scheduled for November 1 is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness, pass messages and at the same time raise funds to help the needy,” the Cardinal said.

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"We will pray for a good representation of the displaced living among us,” he told journalists and added, “it will be an opportunity to pray for all the deceased (Christians, Muslims, Protestants) victims of the violence and at the same time we will pray for the survivors who do not know where to put their heads”.

“It is a highlight of a work of mercy, an anticipation of what we will experience in this Congress," he added.

The congress will end on November 24 with a Eucharistic celebration to be presided over by the Papal delegate to the event, Dieudonné Cardinal Nzapalainga, Archbishop of Bangui in the Central African Republic.

The Cardinal clarified that participants in the Congress will need to be believers who are concerned about celebrating, promoting and living fraternity under the sign of Divine Mercy, and speaking either French, English, Mooré or Dyula.

In addition, to be part of the Congress, participants from Burkina Faso and Niger are expected to pay about US$128 inclusive of registration, food and accommodation. The cost for delegates from other countries is approximately US$255. Participants not requiring accommodation are expected to pay US$85.