Confirmations.3

 

Bakouma

 Confirmations.3

18 May 2026

The season of Confirmations continues!

Having returned to Bangassou on Monday, I am at the Seminary on Thursday. Here we are celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus today.

Ten seminarians are receiving Confirmation: they are the youngest, but full of enthusiasm!

On Friday 15 May, I set off for Bakouma, a parish 140 km from Bangassou. It is an area rich in uranium, which has attracted the interest of many for decades, even though there is no actual mining taking place.

Here I am welcomed by the two parish priests, and by the boys and girls preparing for Confirmation.

I spend Saturday teaching catechism and preparing, and on Sunday morning we celebrate Mass with the Confirmations.

They have come here from the nearest villages. Or almost: two adults have come from a village 48 km away… and they walked all the way!

Early in the afternoon we set off for Nzacko, a parish that has been closed since 2017, when Seleka rebels destroyed everything, razing the church and the rectory to the ground.

The road is in terrible condition, and the 55-kilometre journey takes nearly three hours by car.

But arriving in Nzacko is a real celebration!

No sooner have we unloaded the car than I’m in the church with the confirmands for a brief catechesis.

A quick shower, a bite to eat, but the mosquitoes keep us company, so we go to bed early!

And today, Monday 18 May, we are celebrating Confirmations here in Nzacko too!

At the end of Mass, I go out with the confirmands, and we head over to the ruins of the church, which was razed to the ground in 2017. And here we pray, especially for the parish community, that they may have the strength to rebuild and continue to spread the ‘fragrance of Christ’.

And it is time to set off again for Bakouma, which we reach in the rain.

And tomorrow, Tuesday, we’ll be on the road to Bangassou.

 

Il Seminario
Le Séminaire

 

 

 

Bakouma

 

 

 

Nzacko