The Sainte Anne Cathedral parish of Dédougou , organized Family Day on Saturday June 1, 2024 in Dédougou . This day aimed to invite families to take their active place in the Church for the construction of a better world. The ceremony was sponsored by Pascal Dama and Johanie Paré.
The Sainte Anne de Dédougou cathedral parish celebrated Saturday June 1 , 2024 in Dédougou, Family Day on the eve of the celebration of the solemnity of the Blessed Sacrament .
The family is the foundation of our society, the place where our cultural and spiritual heritage is transmitted. It is within the home that the values that guide our lives are forged.
However, today, our families face many difficulties that hinder their development. How can the Church stand by their side and offer them appropriate support ?
It is in the face of this question that the pastoral care of the family placed at the heart of this day a conference on the theme: ‘ Forgiveness as a basis and prayer as a leaven for the flourishing of the Christian fa
mily ‘ .
This theme developed by the Diocesan Director of Catholic Education of Dédougou, Abbot Alfred Diban Ki, served to recall the importance of the Christian family as the basic unit of the Church and society.
He stressed that forgiveness and prayer as a family are essential for one’s development.
Likewise, the speaker expanded on Ubuntu and the three halls of the Christian family.
Abbot Alfred Diban Ki , defines Ubuntu which is an African philosophy which emphasizes shared humanity, interdependence and solidarity between human beings.
‘ ‘I am because we are ‘, reminds us that my humanity is inseparable from that of others. Ubuntu calls for cultivating a spirit of generosity, compassion and mutual assistance towards one’s neighbor , ‘ he said.
Speaking of the three rooms of the Christian family, they are the room of forgiveness and reconciliation, the room of prayer and thanksgiving and the room of mission and service.
‘ These three rooms are closely linked and form a coherent whole. Forgiveness an
d reconciliation nourish the family prayer life, prayer strengthens the family’s commitment to mission and service. Together, they allow the Christian family to flourish according to the spirit of Ubuntu , ‘ he concluded.
The priest of the Sainte Anne Cathedral parish of Dédougou, Abbé Ferdinand Gnoumou, who presided over the Eucharistic celebration, took the opportunity to recall the close relationship between the solemnity of the Blessed Sacrament and Family Day.
‘ On this Day of Families, as we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are called to contemplate the immeasurable love of God for us, a love which is manifested in a special way in the family », added .
For Abbot Ferdinand Gnoumou , in the liturgical texts of the feast of the Blessed Sacrament, we find a deep link between the Eucharist and family life.
‘ These texts invite us to reflect on how the Eucharist enriches and nourishes our family relationships, as well as how our families can become pl
aces of encounter with the living Christ , ‘ he explained.
A recreational evening was organized which allowed the Christian community to fraternize.
In dioceses and parishes, an important role is given to families through family pastoral care.
This pastoral care is responsible for ensuring that, in the name of Christ and with him, human and spiritual support is offered to people at each stage of life, in the area of relational, emotional and family life in particular.
One of the fundamental challenges facing today’s families is undoubtedly that of education, made more demanding and complex due to the current cultural situation and the great influence of the media.
The requirements and expectations of families capable of being, in daily life, places of growth and concrete and essential transmission of the virtues which give shape to existence, must be held in great consideration.
Source: Burkina Information Agency