In Benin-French West Africa, Oblate ministries nurture the whole person.

Key Missions

Oblates Formation

Who is Served: Youth aspirants, postulants, novices, and scholastics
People Served: 8 postulants and 5 novices in Parakou; 18 scholastics in Abidjan
Why It Exists: To form young men for religious life and future Oblate ministries

Student Chaplaincy

Who is Served: Students aged 18-30
People Served: 1,450 young men and women
Why It Exists: To provide faith-based education and spiritual formation to university students

School Pastoral Care (Parakou)

Who is Served: Children and their families in the southwestern suburbs of Parakou
People Served: 843 children and their families
Why It Exists: To implement Salesian spirituality and educational support for children and adolescents

Boarding House for Boys

Who is Served: Rural schoolboys
People Served: 19 boys this academic year
Why it Exists: To offer safe, quality education and protection from violence and extremism

Sport & Health: Salesian Marathon of Parakou

Who is Served: Children, youth, adults, and the wider community
People Reached: Over 2 million people regionally
Why It Exists: To promote health, unity, interreligious dialogue, and Salesian values through sport

The Salesian Marathon of Parakou, one of the region’s unique missions, encapsulates the importance of movement and faith for well-being.

“We need more than ever before to bring our energy together, spiritual energy, psychological energy, human energy, and the financial and material resources to be able to bring Jesus' message across so that this world becomes a peaceful world. A place where differences are not a reason to fight…We can’t let race, gender, religion, nationality, or even distance allow us to divide one another.” - Fr. Guillaume A. Kambounon, OSFS, Regional Superior

Parish Ministries (Parakou & Djougou)

Who is Served: Urban and rural parish communities
People Served: 5,000 people in Parakou; 2,000 people in Alfa-kpara (Djougou)
Why It Exists: To provide pastoral care, sacraments, and faith formation in growing communities

Salesianum Project

Who is Served: Young university students
People Served: 23,000 students
Why It Exists: To develop a major student center for youth formation in Benin’s first university city