After a long process of discernment and consultation, the request of the Major Superior of Polska, Fr. Piotr Beza, for the St. Jean Paul II Delegation to become an Independent Delegation was approved by the Superior General and his Council on March 24, 2025. This will take effect on October 22, 2025, the feast of St. John Paul II. The Delegation has shown much vitality to move ahead, as evidenced by its consolidated evangelizing actions and steadily increasing vocation, not least personnel for governance.
The Dependent Delegation St. Jean Paul II was established on December 8, 2022, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. It is a mission of the Claretian Province of Polska and covers Côte d’Ivoire, where the mission was opened in 1990, and Burkina Faso, opened in 2015. The delegation comprises 67 members of various nationalities (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Poland, and Togo), including 27 in ongoing formation and 40 students in initial formation. The growing number of vocations makes it a key element in developing the Claretian mission in West Africa.
The Claretian presence is primarily expressed through parishes in various dioceses in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso:
- St. Jean-Marie Vianney of Vridi Cité in the Diocese of Grand-Bassam, in the south of Côte d’Ivoire
- Divine Mercy of Bouaflé in the Diocese of Daloa, in the centre of Côte d’Ivoire
- Our Lady of the Rosary of Soubré in the Diocese of San-Pedro, in the southwest of Côte d’Ivoire
- St. John Paul II in the Diocese of Agboville, in the south of Côte d’Ivoire
- The Anan-Bingerville Community in the Diocese of Abidjan, in the south of Côte d’Ivoire, which hosts priests pursuing specialized studies
- Our Lady of Mercy in Koudougou, in the center-west of Burkina Faso
- The Martyrs of Barbastro Pre-Postulancy in Signwuse, in the center-west of Burkina Faso
In addition to managing parishes and a formation house, missionary efforts have been set in place to diversify pastoral activities. These include spiritual guidance through retreats, recollections, and workshops, as well as student ministry and services of hospitality. Social activities, such as the promotion of women’s rights, youth mentoring, and formation, are also carried out by PROCLADE and the Claretian Youth Ministry.
