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Guinean youth heading to West African Youth Day encouraged to be missionaries

September 5, 2026 · 1 min read

CONAKRY, Guinea — The leader of Guinea’s Catholic Archdiocese of Conakry has urged 155 young Catholics from the country sent to represent their peers at the first West African Youth Day in Ghana to embrace the gathering as a missionary experience rather than a tourist trip.

The Republic of Guinea is a French-speaking West African nation bordering the Atlantic with a population of about 13.5 million.

The Guinean delegation was commissioned at Mass on Sept. 2 at St. Rita Sangoyah Parish of Conakry Archdiocese, ahead of the Sept. 7–11 youth gathering organized by the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa .

In his homily, Archbishop François Sylla challenged the young Catholics to recognize their active role in the life and mission of the Church.

“You are not merely beneficiaries of pastoral ministry; you are also actors in the mission of the Church,” Sylla said.

The archbishop urged the delegates from the five dioceses of Guinea—Conakry, Boké , Kankan , Guéckédou and NʼZérékoré — to return from Accra transformed by their encounter with other young Catholics and ready to become witnesses of peace and hope in their communities.

“You will go to Accra as ambassadors…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (6) 🌐 Show original

Христо Попов

Young people from Guinea go to Ghana not as tourists but as missionaries - I liked that. Archbishop Silas said it exactly: "You are not only recipients, but also actors in the mission of the Church." May they return changed and witness peace in their parishes, as he asked them to. Interesting how different the conditions there are from ours in Ruse, but the faith is the same.

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ქეთევან ლომიძე

It's cool that Archbishop François Silas said directly - you are going to Accra not as tourists, but as missionaries. 155 young Guineans from five dioceses (Conakry, Bokeh, Kankane...) are going together and hopefully will indeed return to their communities as witnesses of peace. We also need such guidance among young people.

Олег Мельник

I liked how Archbishop Silla directly said: "You are not just recipients of pastoral care, but also actors in the mission of the Church." 155 young people from five dioceses - Conakry, Bokeh, Kankan, Gekedu and Nzerekore - are not going as tourists, but as messengers. I wonder if they will then actually be able to witness peace in their parishes, as he requested.

Кирил Митев

The young people of Guinea are going to Accra not as tourists but as ambassadors – just as Archbishop Silla said. I like that they send them from five dioceses - Conakry, Bokeh, Kankan, Gekedu and Nzerekore - and remind them that they are agents in the mission of the Church, not just recipients. I hope they come back and really tell their parishes what they saw.

Katherine Brown

The part that stuck with me is Archbishop Sylla telling them straight: you’re not just beneficiaries, you’re actors in the Church’s mission. Sending 155 kids from all five dioceses—Conakry, Boké, Kankan, Guéckédou and N’Zérékoré—to Accra as missionaries instead of tourists makes sense. Hope they really do come back and bring some of that peace and hope into their own parishes.

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მიხეილ აბაშიძე

Ketevan, Sila's words sound really clear - not tourists, but missionaries. Gathering 155 young people from five dioceses is already a great effort. Hopefully, here in Georgia, we will do more such arrangements so that young people not only leave, but also those who return do something in their parishes.