Kombissiri: The diocesan pilgrimage of catechist fathers and mothers (PMC) from the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, combined with the jubilee of Catholic women from the parish of Kombissiri, took place on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Saint Joseph of Nazouma Shrine in Kombissiri. Praise, a procession of offerings, thanksgiving, and adoration, among other activities, marked the highlights of this day of prayer and intercession.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Shrine of Saint Joseph of Nazouma in the commune of Kombissiri, Baz¨ga province (Nazinon region), was the focal point for Catholic faithful from the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou on Sunday, March 8, 2026. The reason for this gathering was the catechist-parents (PMC) of the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, who were undertaking their diocesan pilgrimage there, coinciding with the jubilee celebration for the Catholic women of the Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Kombissiri.
The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Father Jacques Emilien Sidibe, Vicar General, representing Archbishop Prosper Kontiebo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Ouagadougou. Several thousand Catholic faithful from more than thirty parishes in the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou traveled from Nazouma to join the Christian faithful of Kombissiri for the Eucharistic celebration.
In his homily, the main celebrant, Father Jacques Emilien Sidibe, invited each faithful to be a witness to Christ among men and women through acts of charity. "Our various ways of proclaiming catechesis must lead to revealing the mystery of divine mercy that forgives humanity despite its sins and restores it to its dignity as sons and daughters of God," exhorted Father Jacques Emilien Sidibe, addressing the PMC (Priestly Christian Missionary) and all the pilgrims.
The celebration was marked by prayers, praise, songs of thanksgiving, the offertory procession, and Eucharistic adoration. According to Sakougri Charlemagne, Secretary General of the Diocesan Committee of the Parish Pastoral Councils (PMC) of the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou, every year on the third Sunday of Lent, the PMCs of the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou usually make their diocesan pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Yagma in Ouagadougou. "But this year, we decided to make the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Joseph of Nazouma because the patron saint of the PMCs is Saint Joseph," stated Charlemagne Sakougri. "We are here to pray and ask Saint Joseph to intercede for the PMCs and for peace in Burkina Faso."
The PMC pilgrimage was combined with the jubilee of the Catholic women of the Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Kombissiri. This women's jubilee is part of the preparations for the silver jubilee of the Saint Joseph Shrine and the sixtieth anniversary of the Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Kombissiri. According to the president of the Catholic Women's Association (AFC) of Kombissiri, Marie Sophie Compaore/Samba, this jubilee is an opportunity for Catholic women to pray for the strengthening of faith and unity among Catholic women. "For this jubilee which coincides with March 8, International Women's Day, we prayed for peace in homes in Burkina Faso and entrusted our families to Saint Joseph so that they may be like the Holy Family of Nazareth," said Mrs. Compaore/Samba.
During the Eucharistic celebration, more than a dozen children received the sacrament of baptism. A large fair brought this day of pilgrimage and jubilee to a close.