Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kunkujang (Agenzia Fides) – The parish of Kunkujang, run by the Salesians, includes 25 villages and 13 Catholic communities.
Having arrived in the country just six years ago, in October 2018, at the invitation of the local bishop, the pioneer community, consists of four priests from four different countries and lives in Kunkujang, a Gambian village with a Christian majority.
The Salesians are also chaplains of the 5 Catholic schools and 7 nursery schools of the parish. A few years ago they also opened the "Don Bosco Youth Center". "An absolute novelty for the local Church in Gambia," says the statement from the Salesians sent to Fides.
Gambia is the smallest country on the African continent. Its area of 11,300 square kilometers is surrounded on all sides by Senegal, except for the western part, which borders the Atlantic Ocean. The country's economy is based on agriculture, fishing and, above all, tourism. Of the total population of 2,769,075 inhabitants, 96.4% are Muslims, 3.5% Christians and 0.1% followers of traditional religions.
The General Councilor for Salesian Missions, Fr. Alfred Maravilla, congratulated the community during a visit because "a new missionary presence revives the vitality of the beginnings of our charism. A new presence is important because it awakens new enthusiasm among the confreres. Likewise, missionary pioneers have the unique privilege of rooting the charism of Don Bosco in a new context". (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 5/9/2024)
