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World Youth Day, “an act of faith” for Youth in Burkina Faso: National Chaplain

Fr. Valéry Sakougri addressing young people in Burkina Faso. Credit: Courtesy Photo

The planned World Youth Day (WYD) 2023 to be realized in Lisbon, Portugal, in August is “an act of faith” that provides young people in Burkina Faso an opportunity to “deepen their faith”, the National Youth Chaplain of the  Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger (CEBN) has said.

In a Monday, June 26 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Valéry Sakougri said that Catholic youth in Burkina have been conducting monthly meetings to prepare for the August 1-6 event.

“For young people in Burkina Faso, WYD is above all an act of faith. For them, it's a time to deepen their faith for a more decisive missionary commitment for the benefit of the Church and the nation,” Fr. Sakougri said. 

He added, “Some young people also see WYD as a celebration of fraternity, where they'll make lots of friends.”

For others, the National Youth Chaplain in the West African nation said, “WYD is a time of restoration, when they can come to terms with their own history, with themselves and with others.”

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The Burkinabe Catholic Priest further said that for young people in Burkina Faso, “WYD is a moment of inner renewal that will enable them to make new decisions and envisage new horizons.”

In the June 26 interview with ACI Africa, Fr. Sakougri highlighted preparations for the global event in Portugal, saying that the official delegation of Burkina Faso comprises 47 people, including Archbishop Gabriel Sayaogo of Koupéla Archdiocese, five Priests, four nuns and 37 Catholic youth. 

“About a year ago, Burkina Faso set up a WYD organizing committee. This committee has drawn up the broad outlines of its organization and began its work with communications and awareness-raising in Dioceses and Parishes,” he said.

The member of the Clergy of the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou continued, “After the registration and file review phase, preparatory meetings were held every month to resolve visa issues and the spiritual, technical and moral preparation of the young people.”

“Every last weekend of the month, young people gather around their Chaplains to pray and prepare for their pilgrimage through catechesis, games, learning the WYD anthem, intergenerational meetings, and tree planting,” he said.

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The 47 Catholic delegates have acquired their respective passports, applied for visas, and are awaiting interviews, the National Youth Chaplain in Burkina Faso told ACI Africa. 

He encouraged young people in the West African nation to “participate assiduously in the various preparations for the WYD that we are organizing, and to follow the instructions we give them.”

“We also urge them to prepare spiritually for this event and to learn English, (a language that will be used a lot at WYD),” he added.

Fr. Sakougri went on to call upon young people to “remain united around their Chaplain and to show solidarity with their fellow participants. We remind them that they are on a mission and must carry high the torch of faith and the colors of the nation.”

On June 25, 47 young people preparing to be part of the August 1-6 WYD in Lisbon participated in Holy Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Parish Pabré of Ouagadougou Archdiocese.

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During the Eucharistic celebration, Fr. Sakougri told the youth who are to participate in WYD that Burkina Faso needs fearless Christians, those who are ready to bear witness to their faith without fear of intimidation.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.