Burkina/St Joseph's Ansdell links

Building Church together

Our foundation in Burkina Faso was a desire by the African sisters to spread the Bernardine charism to another area of Africa. After visiting different countries, the Order decided to respond to the invitation of Mgr Jean Baptiste Somé who wished to have a monastic foundation in his diocese of Diébougou in Burkina Faso. We have been there since 2002 and the foundation continues to grow. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Approximately 60 percent of the population practice Islam, 24 percent of the population maintains traditional indigenous beliefs, 17 percent practices Roman Catholicism, and 3 percent are members of various Protestant denominations.

St Joseph's, Ansdell was founded in 1909, when the Catholic population of the Flyde region began to develop. The foundation stone for St Joseph's church was laid on 22nd August 1909 by Dr Whiteside, Bishop of Liverpool, in which diocese the parish was at that time. The church was erected by trustees in memory of Mgr. James Taylor and his brother, Fr Roger Taylor. They had been in charge of the adjacent parish, St Peter's, Lytham, from 1873 until1908 and saw the need for a new parish in the neighbourhood. They generously paid for the new church, which cost £12,000 including furnishings.

As part of their centenary celebration, the parish decided to help 'build' another community, church, and wondered how they could achieve this. Fr. Harry, the parish priest, suggested contacting the Bernardines as his previous parish had supported the Bernardines in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A group was set up to raise awareness and funds for this new church in Burkina. Sr. Josephine Mary, who is the present superior of the Bernardines at Hyning, went to speak to the parish during Lent 2009 and spoke of her experiences there.