“Jesus calls me to be a witness of communion and hope through the educational and evangelising service of the poor”. With this deep conviction that has outlined their spiritual journey, 14 Brothers of the Inter-African Novitiate Notre Dame de Grâce, in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso), pronounced their first vows by their consecration to God the Trinity, to procure “His glory”, last Friday 13 June, 2025.
They are: Brothers Germain Diarra, Jean-Marie Langbatibe, Firmin Some, Judicaël Traore, Jean de Dieu Yadia (from the Lasallian District of West Africa, DILAO); Louis Pierrick Boupda Mooh Dibongue, Evrardo Djimadoum (from the District of Central Africa); Felix Marco Christian Andrianjato, Heriniaina Vahanala Géoffroy Éric Fanirisoa, Tafitasoa Jean Rochel Randrianaivo (from the District of Madagascar); Jorvany Eale Lifoka, Jonathan Muimba Muimba, Jonas Tati Matondo and Gilbert Tsonde Lufuma (from the District of Congo-Kinshasa).
This way, with their temporary profession, they completed two years of formation in the novitiate with a sober Eucharistic celebration that brought together the different congregations of the Inter-novitiate of the Archdiocese of Bobo-Dioulasso, presided over by Father Toussaint Sanou, from the parish of Saint Maurice in Sakaby, and concelebrated by AbbéHilarion Moukoro, from the parish of Notre-Dame du Rosaire in Bomborokuy, from where three of the young professed come.
In addition to the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the Guadalupana de la Salle Sisters, some members of other religious institutes, parents, friends and acquaintances took part in the celebration.
Following Christ
The young professed took the vows of association for the educational service of the poor, stability, chastity, poverty and obedience, in accordance with the Rule of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.
For Brother Louis Pierrick Boupda Mooh Dibongue, “the pronouncement of my first vows entails my commitment to follow Christ in the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. On this day of my religious consecration, I have a feeling of joy. This feeling comes from the fact that God is associating me today with his work of love through religious consecration. My greatest hope for the future is to see the Brothers continue with creativity the heritage received from our Holy Founder, St. John Baptist de La Salle.
Touching the hearts of young people
Brother Jean-Marie Langatibe, for his part, rmarks that “this first religious profession for me is similar to welcoming a new-born child into a family and moving on to another stage. These vows invite me to invest myself more fully to others, especially to the children and young people who will be entrusted to me. My hope for the future is to be an ambassador to spread Lasallian virtues and to see all Lasallians operating together to touch the hearts of the young people we accompany and transform their lives”.
“For me, the pronouncement of my first vows is the sign of my total and free gift to God and my hope for the future is to be a servant of Christ by the gift of myself, through the education of poor children”, underlines Br Jean de Dieu Yadia.
A sign of vitality
“Convinced of their call and accepted by the Brother Visitors of the four respective Districts, these 14 courageous young men, by their religious profession, are giving a sign of vitality to our Region and to the Institute as a whole”, assures Brother Jacques Montchebi, Director and first responsible of the formation of the future Brothers, for whom “the religious profession in the course of the formation of the Brothers of the Lasallian Region of Africa and Madagascar (RELAF) is first of all an act of thanksgiving to God. Through a rich human, Christian, religious and Lasallian formation, the young professed Brothers have assimilated knowledge (knowledge and know-how), values and attitudes (knowing how to be, knowing how to live together and knowing how to believe) which constitute their IPE (Individual Protection Equipment) for spiritual combat”.
“But this external armour is not enough,” Brother Jacques continues; “the abilities acquired, developed and strengthened through by adapting and integrating values, standards and attitudes, constitute above all their IPC (Predictable Internalising Capacity) for this combat”.
Inner freedom
Brother Rodrigue Toeppen, Visitor of the Lasallian District of West Africa, addressed the newly professed Brothers at the end of the Eucharistic celebration, reminding them, “the time of the novitiate has taught you something fundamental: for your choice of life to be fully assumed in transparency, it must be free, it must come from a great interior freedom. This is the condition for detachment from everything, from being, from having, from becoming”.
“I invite you, Brothers, to seek and acquire this inner freedom so that the offering you make of your life may be a true holocaust, totally consumed and pleasing to God. You will have conflicts, misunderstandings, difficulties, no doubt, but do not forget that the One who called you is faithful and cares for you. As long as you remain united to Him, you will bear fruit. May the Spirit strengthen you in your choice,” Brother Rodrigue concluded.
* Article prepared in collaboration with Br Élisée Lare. Photos: Br Élisée Lare.