Catholic Church in Burkina Faso


The Catholic Church in Burkina Faso is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. According to the most recent census 19 percent of the population are members of the Catholic Church.

History

The first Catholics to enter what is today Burkina Faso arrived with the French colonialists in 1896. In 1900 and 1901 Catholic missions were established at Koupéla and Ouagadougou, respectively and Joanny Thévenoud, a missionary helped to firmly establish Catholicism in the country over the following five decades. Abbé Yougbaré was consecrated as the Bishop of Koupéla on 29 February 1956 and became the first African Catholic bishop.

Dioceses