Franceville, Gabon. From December 19 to 21, 2024, the Padre Xifré Delegation concluded the Golden Jubilee celebrations marking 50 years of Claretian Missionary presence in Gabon.
The Jubilee, inaugurated on December 2, 2023, at St. Charles Lwanga Cathedral in Oyem, ended at the Franceville Cathedral, the birthplace of Claretian ministry in Gabon. The three-day event featured solemn vespers, a conference, a video presentation recounting the history of the Claretians in Gabon, and a Thanksgiving Mass presided over by His Excellency Ephrem Ndjoni, Bishop of Franceville.
The Mass saw the participation of the Major Superior of the Padre Xifré Delegation, Fr Félix Obaga Bilogo, CMF, Claretian Missionaries from nearby villages, Fr. Renato Caprioli, CMF, representing the Sanctus Paulus Province, and missionaries from Libreville, Bata, and Malabo. Diocesan clergy, Claretian Sisters, and lay faithful also joined the celebrations.
In his homily, Bishop Ndjoni expressed deep gratitude for the Claretians’ 50 years of evangelization and highlighted testimonies from missionaries who served in Gabon. During the Mass, the delegation secretary read a message from the Superior General of the Congregation, extending congratulations and blessings.
The event closed with prayers of thanksgiving to God for the Claretian Congregation, the gift of vocation, and the fruitful ministry carried out over five decades in Gabon.
Source: Axel YOLANDA, CMF, Padre Xifré Delegation, Delegation Secretary
