Bougouriba: The Catholic faithful of the Saint John the Evangelist parish in Pharyago, in the province of Bougouriba, celebrated Palm Sunday this Sunday in an atmosphere marked by linguistic and cultural diversity. This celebration, which commemorates the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem and marks the beginning of Holy Week, began with the blessing of palm branches, followed by a procession to the parish church. The Mass was presided over by Father Fabrice Som©, with the participation of the parish priest, Father Hilaire Hien, and Father Louis Armel Som©.
According to Burkina Information Agency, during the procession, punctuated by songs and dances, priests, altar servers, and faithful expressed their faith by waving branches in an atmosphere of fervor. In his homily, Father Fabrice Som© invited the faithful to meditate on the humility of Christ. He drew an analogy between the welcome given to Jesus in Jerusalem and that of a top athlete by his fans, emphasizing that the cheers reflect both affection and expectations.
The Eucharistic celebration, marked by the reading of the Passion of Christ, alternated between moments of joy and contemplation. One of the distinctive features of this celebration in Pharyago remains its multilingual nature. The readings were proclaimed in Djan©, Dagari, Dioula, Moor©, and French, promoting a better understanding of the liturgical message by all the faithful.
According to parish officials, several activities are planned as part of Holy Week. These include the screening of a film on the Passion of Christ on Holy Wednesday, the celebration of the Last Supper on Thursday at 6 p.m., the Stations of the Cross on Friday at 3 p.m., followed by the Passion service, the Easter Vigil on Saturday, and Easter Masses scheduled for Sunday, April 5, at 9 a.m. in Pharyago, at 9:30 a.m. in Nabal©, and at 10 a.m. in Dolo.
As a reminder, the parish of Saint John the Evangelist of Pharyago is located in the commune of Bondigui and also covers part of the communes of Dolo and Bondigui.