AFRICA/BENIN - Appointment of Bishop of Djougou

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On February 12, 2022, the Holy Father appointed the Reverend Fr. Bernard de Clairvaux Toha Wontacien, O.S.F.S., until now provincial superior of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales in Benin, as bishop of the diocese of Djougou (Benin)
Msgr. Bernard de Claivaux Toha Wontacien, O.S.F.S., was born on 20 August 1970 in Abomey-Calavi, attended primary and secondary schools in the city of Parakou, and was subsequently awarded a master’s degree in geology. He entered the religious institute of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales (O.S.F.S.), and gave his religious profession on 26 September 1998.
He taught latin at the Saint John Vianney Seminary of Pretoria, South Africa.
He was ordained a priest on 22 July 2006 in Parakou.
He has held the following offices: head of coordination of social pastoral care and of the management of development projects of the metropolitan archdiocese of Parakou, coordinator of archdiocesan Caritas and of the diocese of North Benin (2006-2011), member of the Council for Economic Affairs of the same archdiocese and advisor to the archbishop (2007-2013), bursar of the Western African division of the Province of France (2008-2018) and head of English and French translation of the O.S.F.S. (2012-2018), Master of Scholastics O.S.F.S., Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire (2013-2018), provincial councillor (2015-2018) and from 2019 to the present, provincial superior of the Province of France of the O.S.F.S. in Benin. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 14/2/2022)

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