A seminary in Ivory Coast serves as a living testimony to the extraordinary power of divine grace, where young men with difficult pasts prepare to become priests. At the Redemptoris Mater international diocesan major seminary in Abidjan, located in Yopougon (West Africa), 19 future priests of the Neocatechumenal Way are advancing in their formation. Some of these young men lived through extremely difficult moments, suffered deep wounds of the soul, or were even deeply immersed in various sins, leading anyone to believe they would never reach ordination.
“He lifted me out of the fatal pit, out of the muddy bog; he established my feet upon a rock, and made my steps secure; he put a new song in my mouth, a hymn to our God. Many, seeing it, were awestruck and trusted in the Lord” (Psalms 40, 3-4).
However, God calls whom He wills, and He has the power to heal all wounds of the soul and inwardly transform a person to such an extent that they convert. These men will be a living testimony of the power of God’s grace over weak people, thereby helping others to convert and heal internally.
Testimonies of conversion at the seminary in Ivory Coast
Yves Guillaume, 36, is one of the young men who has been able to experience this profound transformation. He confesses:
“Today I understand, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that my entire history is holy and has an ultimate meaning, which is God. It is a masterpiece of God, the Father, through the mediation of His only Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit and through the Church. That is why I make myself available as a sign of gratitude to say: ‘Here I am, Lord, I come to do Your will’”.
Yves Guillaume describes his years of formation as a “special grace, through which God purifies me every day, just as gold is purified in the crucible”.
To educate these future priests intellectually, spiritually, and in community life, as missionaries available to the universal Church, essential resources are naturally needed. The institution only survives thanks to trust in Divine Providence, supported by benefactors who help these 19 young men, mostly from poor families, follow God’s call. Grégoire, one of the seminarians, expressed his gratitude in a letter:
“Your decision to help me is a gift for me, and I do not have words to thank you enough. Your donations are a true encouragement and a sign of trust in me, so that, upon finishing my formation and with God’s grace, I can put myself completely at the service of the universal Church. Your contributions allow me to continue my formation with enthusiasm and dedication”.