Koupéla, 06 September, 2025 / 8:54 PM
Archbishop Gabriel Sayaogo of the Catholic Archdiocese of Koupéla in Burkina Faso has called on the people of God in the West African nation to embrace the new Pastoral Year 2025-2026 as a moment of renewal, sincere conversion, and renewed commitment to service.
In a message issued on September 3 marking the start of the 2025–2026 pastoral year in his Metropolitan See, Archbishop Sayaogo extends “fraternal greetings and heartfelt wishes of peace and spiritual fruitfulness” to the people of God across the country.
“The year that lies ahead of us is another stage on the path of our common mission: to proclaim Christ, the light of the world, in a world marked by various tensions and within a context of human, social, and security challenges,” the Local Ordinary of Koupéla who doubles as President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Burkina Faso and Niger (CEBN), says.
He says the pastoral year would be lived “in a spirit of true communion and fraternity,” strengthened by celebrations including the silver jubilee of Priests ordained in 2000, women and men Religious marking 25 years of Religious Life, and other faithful marking milestones of sacramental life.
These jubilees, the Catholic Archbishop says, will also form part of the thanksgiving for 125 years of evangelization in Burkina Faso.
Archbishop Sayaogo urges Catholic communities to embody the Gospel in daily life, saying, “May our parishes be living examples of fraternity, our religious communities joyful witnesses of consecration, and our Dioceses visible signs of unity in diversity.”
Expressing gratitude to pastoral agents who continue their mission or begin new ones, he lauds their “silent yet powerful witness, faithful prayer, and readiness to serve the Lord and the poorest.”
Looking ahead, Archbishop Sayaogo entrusts the new pastoral year to the Virgin Mary.
He seeks the intercession of “Our Lady of the Sahel,” and implores, “May the Holy Spirit inspire us, strengthen us, and guide us in all our initiatives.”
Archbishop Sayaogo invokes God’s blessing on all the people of God, wishing them “a good and holy pastoral year.”
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