The Province of Our Lady of Loreto-Saint Anne now has a second Brother-Priest. “Humility is the virtue that will enable you to lead a fruitful priesthood. ” It was with these words that Monsignor Guy Moukassa Sanon, Bishop of Nouna, concluded his exhortation during the Mass at which he ordained four priests – three for the Congregation of the Sons of Mary Immaculate and one for the Institute of the Brothers of the Holy Family – on Saturday 11 April 2026. Brother Philippe Sawadogo, for it is he in question, has been a Brother of the Holy Family since 1990. Following the Mass, at which four bishops—His Eminence
Cardinal Philippe OUEDRAOGO, Archbishop Emeritus of Ouagadougou; Their Excellencies Monsignor Paul OUEDRAOGO, Archbishop Emeritus of Bobo Dioulasso; and Joachim OUEDRAOGO, Bishop of Koudougou, and of course the Bishop who ordained the four deacons, congratulated those ordained that day as well as the many priests, nuns and religious. Brother Victor SAWADOGO, Provincial Superior, in his words of congratulations, recalled the lay character of our Congregation, stating that Brother Philippe’s ordination in no way diminishes this character. Quite the contrary, it reinforces it, for Brother Philippe is ordained solely for the service of the house of formation and the needs of the communities. He will be known only by the name ‘Brother’, which remains dear to us.
The following day, Sunday 12 April 2026, a vast crowd of priests, men and women religious, and lay people—comprising friends, relatives and students from the juniorate—gathered around Brother Philippe, under the benevolent gaze of Bishop Paul, to give thanks to God for the gift of the ministerial priesthood. It was a fitting occasion for Father Albert KABORE, a former Brother from the 1970s and 1980s, to preach and speak of how noble the vocation of the Brothers is. At the end of Mass, the words of congratulations from the Superior General served to reinforce the vision shared by the Provincial Superior the previous day.
It was in a spirit of joy and celebration that relatives, friends and acquaintances shared a toast after this Mass of Divine Mercy and Thanksgiving for the priestly ordination of Brother Philippe SAWADOGO.
