News from our latest foundation: Ita Djèbou, in Benin
News from our latest foundation: Ita Djèbou, in Benin
For the past few months, the Little Sisters of the Assumption have been embarking on a new missionary adventure in Benin. After a period of welcome, discovery, and discernment, they settled near Porto Novo, in a village that had long awaited the presence of a religious community. Between encounters, learning the language, and discovering the local environment, a new chapter in the Congregation’s history is being written.
Porto-Novo is the second largest city and the administrative capital of Benin. Upon their arrival, Sisters Marie-Claire, Tuyen, and Emilienne were housed in the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Augustine, in their guest house, where they stayed for three months. This gave them time to visit parishes and potential locations for their new communities, which they could then submit to the Council for consideration. They chose the village of Ita Djebou, along with the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in the Diocese of Porto-Novo. They found a house located a 20-minute drive from the town of Sakété, north of Porto-Novo. The neighbors kindly cleaned the house before their arrival, and on May 25, 2026, the house was ready for them to move in!
On May 27, during a confirmation Mass in the village with the Bishop, they were presented to the deanery (the group of six parishes). On May 31, a welcoming Mass was celebrated in their parish followed by a meal. They felt the joy of the village in welcoming a religious community that had long awaited the presence of a congregation.
The sisters thus had the opportunity to introduce themselves and the Congregation.
On June 1, Bishop Aristide Gonzalo presided over the blessing of the house with an assembly of about 80 people. In the chapel, he placed the Eucharistic Presence and then told the sisters: “If you need anything, call; someone will always be there to answer you”.
What will our mission in Ita Djèbou consist of: the process of discernment has begun.
This blessing marks the end of the first stage: the search for a foundation. Now, the second stage begins: studying the local environment and determining the direction of the community’s mission.
Currently, the sisters are learning Yoruba, but the locals speak three or four different languages, which challenges basic learning. During Mass, they have to translate part of what is said.
So, what will our mission look like: catechism? tutoring? healthcare? visiting the sick? Anything is possible; the needs and expectations are numerous. People ask what the sisters will do for them, but it’s still a bit too early to answer. For now, the sisters are happy to discover this welcoming, generous, very young community with a vibrant parish.
Many religions coexist here. The church in Ita Djebou is flanked by two mosques, and Voodoo is very present, with its fetishistic rites. Among the Christians, too, many seek blessings to feel protected. Priests bless students before exams, workers for their week’s work, and pregnant women who are anointed. Deliverance masses are also scheduled—all rites that testify to the need to situate the Catholic faith within this environment.
The sisters are delighted to discover such a welcoming people, who organized meals in their honor and gave them gifts. They are also amazed by the lush natural surroundings with their abundance of bird species! Many trees and forests surround the houses, which have electricity, and the inhabitants obtain their water from boreholes.
Comments collected by the general secretariat from Sisters Marie-Claire, Tuyen and Emilienne,
forming the community of Porto-Novo