Thanksgiving and a Shared Journey
On behalf of the Order, I raise a hymn of profound gratitude to God for these last twenty-five years of Conventual Franciscan presence, mission, and service in Burkina Faso. As I reflect on the journey we have taken since the day the mission began, my heart is filled with wonder at the fruits of goodness that the Lord has brought forth.

This last quarter century has been shaped by fraternal and institutional decisions made in the name of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; the generous dedication of many friars; the faith and trust of so many individuals, both friars and laypeople; and an outlook that is open to the future and capable of shaping it.
Special and heartfelt thanks go to the first friars who came to Burkina Faso from the Province of St. Bernardine and St. Angelo in Italy (Abruzzo) and the Province of the Immaculate Mother of God in Poland (Warsaw). With evangelical courage and a spirit of adaptability, they planted the first seed. Today, that small seed has grown into a tree: still young, but flourishing, with many local vocations and vocations from other neighboring French-speaking countries—a clear sign of the vitality of the Gospel.
As we celebrate this anniversary, let me express my sincere gratitude for the extraordinary human qualities that distinguish both our friars and the local people who welcome the mission and its work of evangelization. As is well known, the very name of the country carries a profound meaning: “Land of Upright People,” evoking a people of noble and righteous spirit. Our friars and the people of Burkina Faso do full honor to this heritage of uprightness. Over the past twenty-five years, the Order has contemplated and admired the beauty of this culture, a culture founded on values deeply aligned with the Gospel: tolerance and peaceful coexistence, hard work and resilience, and a strong sense of community.
From what I have seen and come to understand, in a region often marked by tension, the people retain an extraordinary ability to maintain strong social bonds and preserve their dignity. Moreover, in the heart of the Sahel—that vast transition zone on the southern edge of the Sahara, a geographically disadvantaged land tested by difficult economic and geopolitical challenges—I have discovered, through the witness of the Conventual Franciscan friars, a profound work ethic and the pride of those who refuse to be broken by adversity.
Finally, I greatly appreciate, in the local culture, the people’s desire not to go it alone, but to support one another and listen to one another. These are all traits deeply rooted in the Franciscan charism.
I thank the Lord for the good accomplished by the Province of Warsaw and the then Province of Abruzzo—now the Italian Province of St. Joseph of Cupertino (Abruzzo-Molise-Puglia). I entrust the future of our presence in Burkina Faso to Him. May the Virgin Mary and our Father, St. Francis, continue to guide the steps of the friars—whether Polish, Italian, local, or from any other background—so that, together with the dear people of Burkina Faso, they may continue to be instruments of peace, hope, and universal fraternity.

Friar Carlos A. TROVARELLI, OFM Conv.
Minister General