Bobo-Dioulasso — The Archdiocese of Bobo-Dioulasso is marking its 80th anniversary this year.

In his homily during a special Mass to close a series of celebrations, Archbishop Paul Y.Ouedraogo said "this jubilee is an opportunity for us to see the apostolic growth of our church. These celebrations have been an occasion to thank God for the wonders worked among you and through you, His people."

Archbishop Ouedraogo said the archdiocese has had numerous blessings of vocations, with over 60 diocesan priests.

"We also boast of men and women religious, a wonderful team of catechists, mothers and fathers devoted to proclaiming the Word of God to help adults and children grow in the faith," he added.

The diocese has its own minor seminary at Nasso, 14 parishes, 22 institutes of consecrated life including a monastery of contemplatives at Kiri, several Catholic schools, development programmes, associations, prayer groups, spiritual families.

Created as an apostolic prefecture on 15 December 1927, ten years later in 1937 it became an apostolic Vicariate and then a diocese on Sept. 14, 1955. In 2001 it was raised to the rank of archdiocese.