From the trauma of a terrorist attack during Mass to the accompaniment of the Bayaka Pygmies, the experience of a missionary priest reveals a Church at work for peace and integral human development.

For Fr. Ricahrd Honkou, the mission in the Central African Republic can be summed up in one pursuit: to rebuild “what is Beautiful and True” in a divided land.

“Reconciling hearts and minds in these times of military and political crises that spread like wildfire is part of a holistic approach — spiritual, social, educational, and humanitarian,” he explains.

Bégoua: rebuilding a generation

His mission began in 2017 as a vicar at Saint Charles Lwanga Parish in Bégoua, Archdiocese of Bangui — a vibrant community of 18 chapels where faith remains “expressive and alive” despite the turmoil.
Faced with the “painful consequences” of violence, particularly among the youth, Fr. Honkou and his team developed spaces for listening and support. They organized workshops on non-violence and interreligious dialogue, launched small-scale farming projects, offered tutoring and music classes, and created sports activities.
These initiatives, he says, aimed to “restore trust” and foster “social cohesion” through dialogue, solidarity, and community resilience.

Bayaka Pygmy children in a classroom holding slates with the word “papa” written on them, Mabondo, Central African Republic, February 8, 2023.

The Fatima tragedy: memory and resilience

On May 1, 2018, Fr. Honkou’s ministry was struck by tragedy. While celebrating Mass at Notre-Dame de Fatima in Bangui, in the predominantly Muslim district of PK5, armed rebels launched an attack.

“Grenades were falling into the crowd. The rebels were firing point blank,” he recalls.
A fellow priest, Fr. Albert Toungoumale, and about twenty parishioners were killed. “Surviving was purely God’s grace — a miracle,” he says, paying tribute to the victims.

In the aftermath, survivors were received by Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga, who offered them listening and support. Healing came slowly, through counseling sessions organized by ICOF and Catholic Relief Services — and through the Eucharist and adoration.
Quoting St. Paul, Fr. Honkou reflects: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Mabondo: a prophetic mission among the Pygmies

In 2020, Fr. Honkou was sent to Mabondo in the Diocese of Berberati — a mission of “first evangelization” serving the Bayaka Pygmies, a semi-nomadic and marginalized people, traditionally hunters and gatherers.

“It’s a mission of presence and patience,” he says.

Mass is celebrated in a converted classroom; there is no church building yet. The challenges are immense — poor health conditions, malnutrition, and illiteracy. The mission has implemented a two-year literacy program, ORA (“Observe, Reflect, Act”), to help children learn basic reading and writing.

In 2022, a school construction project — three classrooms, a canteen, and modern toilets — was submitted to the SMA Province of Lyon. Fundraising continues, with hope that it will soon become a reality for the Bayaka children.

Parishioners of Mabondo Parish pose for a group photo in Mabondo, Central African Republic, on January 25, 2025.

Healthcare: a fundamental right, a ministry of reconstruction

Access to healthcare in Mabondo remains a matter of survival. Fr. Honkou denounces the inequalities between rich and poor, Bayaka and Bilo (Bantu) populations. Yet hope is emerging.
Thanks to partnerships with Water for Good, Action Against Hunger, FairMed, and the Order of Malta France, the mission has drilled wells for clean water, equipped a cold chain for vaccine storage, and improved care for neglected tropical diseases.

“Welcoming, cleanliness, quality, and free care,” he says, “make our health center a place people travel from afar to reach. To heal a patient is to rebuild a human being.”

For Fr. Honkou, “every wounded or sick person is a presence of the suffering Christ” (cf. Mt 25:36).

Changing the world from the heart

Quoting Pope Francis’ encyclical Dilexit nos (“He loved us”), Fr. Honkou concludes with conviction:

“The world can change — starting from the heart.”

Beyond traditional pastoral care, his mission seeks to heal visible and invisible wounds, to rebuild a civilization of love upon the ruins of hatred.

Fr. Richard Honkou’s journey is that of a resilient Central African Church — scarred yet unbroken, tirelessly sowing seeds of peace, dignity, and hope.

NB: Fr. Richard Honkou, a Togolese priest of the Society of African Missions (SMA) serving in the Central African Republic.

By Dominic Wabwireh