As part of its ordinary meeting, the Vice-Provincial Council of VPAO (Vice-Province of West Africa) travelled to Niger to hold its session. The meeting took place in Niamey, at the Saint Clément de Garbado Community, from April 20 to 26, 2026. At the end of the meeting, the Council deemed it appropriate to make fraternal visits to the communities in northern Niger, namely Tchirozérine and Agadez. Three members of the Council were appointed to carry out this mission: Fathers Olivier, Vice-Provincial, Michel, and Pascal, Vice-Provincial Councilors. They arrived in Tchirozérine, their first destination, on April 28, 2026, and stayed there until April 30.
During their stay, they had the opportunity to fraternize with the two confreres stationed there, Fathers Ambroise and Jérôme; to visit the health center and meet its staff; and to pay visits to local authorities, including the Prefect, the Mayor, the Commissioner, and the Imam. It should be noted that the mission in Tchirozérine is a particular one. It is primarily a mission of presence. Although there is a parish, it has no more than twenty faithful in total. For the visitors, it was a great joy to visit such a community and to share deeply in its mission.
On the evening of April 29, at the end of their stay, they celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving together with the entire community and shared a fraternal meal. The visitors would have wished to prolong their stay, but the mission called them elsewhere. Thus, they arrived in Agadez on the afternoon of April 30, 2026.
Upon their arrival in Agadez, the two communities, together with their hosts, shared a fraternal meal in the warm and brotherly atmosphere characteristic of the Redemptorist family. After a time of rest, the delegation, accompanied by the Superiors of the Agadez and Tchirozérine communities, paid a courtesy visit to His Highness, Sultan Oumar of Aïr. This visit was both a moment of fraternal exchange and an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with the traditional authorities—a relationship that dates back to the founding of the two northern missions. This was further evidenced by the farewell visit of the Vice-Sultan to our hosts on the morning of May 1, 2026. It should also be noted that the joy of our visitors, coming from Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, was immense as they received from His Highness’s hands precious souvenirs from the land of Aïr—symbols of a solid and fruitful collaboration.
On the evening of April 30, 2026, corresponding to the memorial of Saint Robert, the entire parish community gathered around Father Robert Ouédraogo, the guest of honor of the day, to celebrate the Eucharist under the presidency of Father Michel Kajeli. Together, they gave thanks to the Lord for the life of their pastor, who was celebrating his patronal feast, and for the presence of the Vice-Provincial and his Council. It was a beautiful celebration, full of color and grace. The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a fraternal gathering, a sign of the abundance of redemption, in which members of the parish community participated. To God be all the glory for these wonders.
Finally, on the occasion of International Workers’ Day, May 1, the parish community, united with the resident staff and our visitors, gathered for the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Father Olivier S. They offered to the Lord their many reasons for thanksgiving, symbolized by the presentation of work instruments brought by each faithful to the altar. This gesture expressed their desire that the Creator of the universe bless their labor and make of their hands instruments for building a world of peace and justice, where all—Muslims, Christians, and animists—live as brothers and sisters, humbly participating in the work of creation, echoing the words of Fathers Pascal and Olivier in the homily and subsequent interview.
It was a beautiful celebration of thanksgiving and offering. After Mass, the parish community continued to fraternize until nightfall. The day’s events, which also included a meeting between the Vice-Provincial Council and the Parish Council, concluded with the traditional Workers’ Day celebration organized by the parish youth. What a grace it was for us, we were truly in celebration!
After this short but activity-filled stay in the far North, the delegation began their return journey on the morning of May 2, 2026. Like the Magi, they departed by another route. What, then, can be retained from this visit? For us confreres of these two oases on the edge of the Ténéré, this visit was more than fraternal. It was not only a visible sign of Christ the Redeemer present among us, calling us to make his redemption abound in this part of Niger, but also a testimony of fraternal solicitude in the mission.
As we express our deep gratitude to our visitors, we ask the Lord to bless abundantly the Redemptorist mission and to make the abundance of redemption flourish in Niger. Amen.
Fr. Wenceslas SANOU, C.Ss.R.
To stay updated follow us on…
