“The confessional became for me a school of compassion: every pilgrim, every story reminded me that God’s mercy knows no borders.”

Fr. Charlemagne Bonou, a missionary of the Society of African Missions (SMA), serves in the Diocese of Kandi in northern Benin, at Saint-Charles Lwanga Parish in Ségbana. This summer, he lived through a unique spiritual experience: one month at Le Puy-en-Velay, one of Europe’s oldest Marian shrines. It was a time of prayer, service, and encounter that deeply marked him and renewed his missionary zeal.

Le Puy-en-Velay, a pilgrimage landmark

Since the Middle Ages, the cathedral of Le Puy-en-Velay has drawn countless pilgrims, drawn to its remarkable architecture, the monumental statue of Our Lady of France, the Saint Joseph shrine, and its historical ties with Mont-Saint-Michel.

“Walking into that cathedral felt like being surrounded by centuries of prayer,” recalls Fr. Bonou. Each evening Mass in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by Eucharistic adoration, became for him a source of spiritual strength. “The Eucharist was the heartbeat of my stay.”

Listening as mission

Beyond the liturgies, Fr. Bonou was most moved by his ministry in the confessional. Sitting in its silence, he welcomed pilgrims from all backgrounds, each carrying their own story, wounds, and hopes.

“It was for me a true school of compassion,” he says. “I experienced the power of God’s mercy and the beauty of reconciliation. Every person I met revealed something of God’s infinite love.”

For a missionary used to traveling the villages of Benin, being approached by European pilgrims instead was an unexpected grace — a living sign of the Church’s universality.

Marian fervor at its peak

The high point of his stay came on August 15th, the solemnity of the Assumption. After the cathedral liturgy, the Black Madonna was carried in procession through the city streets, followed by crowds of joyful and fervent pilgrims.

“It was a moving moment, a tangible manifestation of the living faith of God’s people,” he remembers. Daily rosaries, adoration vigils, and Marian processions strengthened his devotion to Mary and helped him refocus his ministry on its core: leading souls to Christ through Mary.

A renewed ministry

Fr. Bonou expressed deep gratitude to the shrine’s rector, Fr. Ollu, his team, and the SMA province of Lyon, which made the program possible. “Their warm welcome and fraternal support were a great sign of ecclesial communion,” he noted.

Now back in Ségbana, he says he returns with renewed strength: “This experience has enriched me both humanly and spiritually. I return with a heart made new, ready to serve my community with greater joy and availability.”

The universality of the Church in action

This testimony shines a light on the beauty of a Church without borders: an African missionary serving pilgrims in a European sanctuary before returning to his African parishioners. Le Puy-en-Velay, crossroads of pilgrims from around the world, embodies the reality of a universal Church where all are called to give and to receive.

“Rest is sacred,” concludes Fr. Bonou. “At Le Puy, I rediscovered the joy of resting in God — in order to go forth again on mission.”

By Dominic Wabwireh