Two Motorcycles for Two Young Priests
The Diocese of Fada N’Gourma lies in eastern Burkina Faso.
The diocese itself is vast – with an area of over 18,250 square miles – larger than many entire countries, such as the Netherlands or Switzerland, for example. Yet with just two million inhabitants, it is very sparsely populated. The approximate 100,700 Catholics in the diocese live widely scattered across 16 giant parishes.
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Consequently, the priests have to travel long distances in order to minister to the Catholic faithful. Many villages are between 30 and 40 miles from the parish center. So without a suitable means of transport, the pastoral ministry is extremely difficult and often quite simply impossible. A motorcycle is thus an indispensable minimum. It also offers a degree of security for the priest in this dangerous region.
And so their bishop turned for ACN for help, on behalf of two of his young priests, who, after their ordination, had spent two full years without any suitable means of transport – a situation that has severely hampered their pastoral ministry. Now, thanks to your generosity, we were able to provide the $7,092 required to provide two small motorcycles, one for each of these two priests.
These two motorcycles have made an enormous difference to the priests in their work, and one of them, Father Séraphin Kiema, has written to thank us: “I recall how I was often forced to ask someone to give me a lift when I had to fulfill my pastoral duties. On one occasion, someone came to me on a bicycle and asked me to bring the sacrament of the sick for an ailing relative. Since I had no motorcycle, this person had to go and find someone else with a motorcycle, so that we could drive to visit the family of the sick person. Now, with the new motorcycle and being unrestricted in my movements, I can at last joyfully fulfill my pastoral ministry. As Jesus said, ‘Whatever you have done for the least of my brethren, you have done for me‘ (Mt 25,40). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all those who have helped me!”
125-08-29