Aid to the Church in Need: BENIN: Extension of the parish church of St Michael in Natitingou

BENIN: Extension of the parish church of St Michael in Natitingou

Posted by Project of the Week on 31/10/2008, 7:32 am
Board Administrator

BENIN: Extension of the parish church of St Michael in Natitingou

In the north of this small country of around 8.5 million souls in West Africa lies the town of Natitingou with some 50,000 inhabitants. It is also the centre of the diocese of the same name. Here, back in the mid-1980s, the chapel of St Michael was built to accommodate around 200 faithful. In 1995 it became the parish church with its own resident priest. Since then the number of the faithful has grown steadily. For example, whereas in 1997 there were 20 baptisms, in 2007 there were 189. Needless to say, the church has now become far too small for the many parishioners, so that many of them are obliged to stand outside in order to participate in Holy Mass. So now the parish priest, Abbé Francois Tiando, wants to enlarge the church. "We want our church in future to be large, functional, open and welcoming to all", he writes to thye Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Despite the poverty of his congregation, he has already managed to raise $13,000 for this project and has now turned to ACN for a contribution so that work can begin.

ACN has promised a grant of $40,000. To help this cause please contact the Australian office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web: www.aidtochurch.org

The faithful at Holy Mass
Code: 117-01-10

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org