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An African missionary in France

France used to send missionaries to Africa. Now it is missionaries from Africa who are helping to keep the Catholic faith alive in France.

Father Michel was brought up in a devout family in a devout country. He witnessed the horrors of the Second Congo War but when he was sent to France he was nevertheless shocked to find so much material and spiritual poverty there. His first posting as a missionary was working with young people separated from the parents because of violence, addiction, and abuse. Now he has a parish in Alsace, or rather 12 parishes.

He tells us about the joys and pains of being an African missionary in Europe. He loves the way lay people rally round in his parish with all sorts of expert help 鈥 finding flowers for the church, doing the accounts. And he loves the choral tradition of this land whose history is more German than French. We hear too about his experience of rejection because of his ethnic background. But above all the warm welcome he has received from active Catholics who have become dependent on these 鈥渕issionaries-in-reverse鈥 from from Africa for the practice of their faith.

(Photo: Father Michel performs communion during mass. Credit: John Laurenson)

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