Dear confreres, families, friends and lay partners of the entire Congregation,
We may not know enough about what is happening in this part of West Africa where our confreres of the Vice Province of Afrique de l’Ouest live and work. But I can say that for a little over three years now, this is a zone of great instability and insecurity, where there are incidents of violence and deadly attacks by the terrorist groups. Almost every day the people in Burkina Faso or in neighboring countries (Niger, Mali, and Nigeria) are killed.
Recently we received the news on last Thursday that the three members (including a woman with the child in the womb) of our two confreres: Fathers Justin and Evariste OUEDRAOGO, from the Village of Kongoussi in Burkina Faso were killed.
Condolences and Prayers to our confreres and their family members
On behalf of Father General and the whole General Government, we offer them our heartfelt condolences and prayers. We pray again that God will welcome these three deceased relatives into His Kingdom of life, peace, and love. Yes, may God our Father grant them eternal rest and consolation to all the members of their families. Amen.
For all of us, dear confreres, friends and lay partners of the Redemptorist family, “the family is a body, and in this body when one member suffers, it is the whole body that shares its suffering.” As a religious family, we offer here the testimony of our solidarity and our prayers to our members who suffer from terrorism (jihadist, fanaticism and radicalism) in this zone of West Africa (Burkina, Niger, Nigeria and Mali). Fathers Justin and Evariste OUEDRAOGO, be assured of our fraternal friendship and our condolences. We are the “Witnesses of the Redeemer: in Solidarity for the Mission, in a wounded World!”
For this reason, I would like to invite the whole Congregation to pray, not only for these confreres alone and their families who are suffering the pain of this loss of human life, but also for all the people, who lost their lives and those who suffer by the deadly evil of terrorism, intolerance, violence, revenge, insecurity and its confusion.
Christ the Redeemer said, “Trust that I have overcome the evil.” Yes, we know this, and we believe that “Copiosa Apud Eum Redemptio” – “With Him there is Plentiful Redemption!”
Confident of His presence at our side, let us ask Him to strengthen our faith, our hope, and our charity amidst the trials and tribulations of our wounded world. May the Lord make each of us a bearer of His life and Gospel of love, and always stronger than evil and death in all their forms. Amen
United fraternally in Christ the Redeemer.
Fr. Nicolas Issifi-Ayouba, C.Ss.R.
