after Bozoum, news from Bangassou

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I write this with the New Year's Concert playing in the background, along with Strauss's waltzes!

Today, January 1st, is World Peace Day. While much of the world is arming itself, it seems to me that the only sensible voice remains that of Pope Leo, who wrote in his Message: "When we treat peace as a distant ideal, we finally cease to find it scandalous that it can be denied and even that war can be resorted to to achieve it." Peace seems increasingly threatened, and we often feel as if we can do nothing to make it come. The Pope reminds us, with St. Augustine, that "If you wish others to be at peace, be yourself, remain yourself. To enkindle others, let the peace of your charity burn brightly within you."

Having returned from Bakouma on Friday, January 26th, the following day, Saturday the 27th, the Cathedral is full, because today marks the conclusion of the Jubilee of Hope. Opened on December 29, 2025, we have experienced it in all the parishes in the diocese (all of which have become Jubilee churches) and on many occasions with various groups: readers, the sick, women, prisoners, seminarians, ecclesial movements, couples and families, consecrated persons, charismatics, choirs, and catechists. Sunday, December 28th, is the eagerly awaited day of the political elections. This year, they are all held on the same day. Voting is for the President of the Republic, for members of parliament, for regional councilors, and for mayors. The 10 days of election campaigning have been very noisy and colorful. Candidates who could visit neighborhoods and villages, handing out T-shirts, money, and promises… Many candidates, especially from the opposition, were banned from flying or even driving…

Voting is a beautiful moment for a community. Unfortunately, voter turnout is low: a bad sign, one that speaks of resignation and distrust of change. I observed the voters, serious and composed, as I walked up to the "Maman Tongolo" orphanage.

Today, the feast of the Holy Family, but also of the Holy Innocents, we prayed for Viviane, who left us a few days ago! She hadn't been well for a few weeks and hadn't been eating. Almost as if she wanted to say "Enough!" to life. And she wanted to see her grandmother. Viviane was born 10 years ago in Selim, a village 110 km from Bangassou. A Franciscan priest had seen her and saved her, taking her to Bangassou, where she was welcomed into the orphanage, where she lived very peacefully for 6 years. With her difference (Down syndrome), her sweetness, and her temperament, she quickly became one of the hearts of the Orphanage. Affectionate, tender, but also capable of a little tantrum, and always a delightful centerpiece of the small "Maman Tongolo" community. Now she is certainly at peace, and will race to heaven, cheering everyone up, as she always did throughout her short life. Goodbye Viviane. The Lord welcomes you with infinite love and so much tenderness!

Elezioni a Bangassou
Elections à Bangassou
Elecciones en Bangassou

Sr Yolande con Aurélie
Sr Yolande avec la petite Aurélie
Sor Yolande con la pequeña Aurélie

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

I'm just returning from a few days spent in the villages, about 200 km from Bangassou. Here too, despite everything, these are very intense days. Between Thursday, December 18th and Sunday, December 21st, the diocese organized the Jubilee of Catechists. They were days of training and exchange, with about a hundred catechists (those closest to us from the surrounding villages).

Here in Central Africa, the role of the catechist is fundamental. Priests are few, and in the villages, the catechist leads Sunday and weekday prayers, teaches catechism, and accompanies the community. One of them, Zachèe, is celebrating 50 years of service here in Bangassou. On Sunday the 21st, in the morning I celebrated Mass in the parish of Tokoyo, and in the afternoon I stopped by to bring greetings to our "pearls," the children of the Orphanage and the elderly of the Casa Espoir. I won't be with them on Christmas Day, when they'll receive some gifts and a nice festive meal. I'll bring them some chocolate, and that's how they will start celebrating Christmas! On Monday afternoon, I'm leaving for the North, to Bakouma and then to Nzacko the next day.

I also am bringing some tarps with me, which are used to cover the nursery school. It was destroyed in 2017, along with the church, the hospital, and the rectory. This too is a construction site and a work in progress!

On December 24th, Wednesday evening, at 7:00 p.m., I celebrated Christmas Eve Mass: a few rare lights, but much warmth for this community that welcomes nine newly baptized people and that, despite the war, has remained steadfast in its faith. And here too, the singing of the Gloria explodes, like in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago! On December 25th, we left before 5:00 a.m., because we needed to arrive in Bakouma in time for Mass. There are 13 baptisms here too: typically, on Christmas Day, children's baptisms are celebrated, while at Easter it's time for children, youth, and adults. It was a very beautiful Mass, in a stone chapel. As we celebrated, the cries of the election campaign could often be heard: these are the final days, because on December 28th we will vote for President, Parliament, the Regional Council, and the Municipalities. Tensions remain high, and there is little room for those not from the party in power. But hope and faith in common sense remain!