In an atmosphere of missionary joy, the delegation of the Consolata Missionaries in Ivory Coast organized, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, the Pilgrimage of Saint Joseph Allamano. This initiative marks a significant moment in the centenary year of the birth into heaven of our Founder, while also celebrating 30 years since the first arrival of the Consolata missionaries in the country.
By ‘Ariel Tosoni*
Under the benevolent protection of Saint Joseph Allamano, patron of the delegation, this pilgrimage is an invitation to rediscover his missionary figure, to experience and listen to his ever-living presence among the great Ivorian Consolata family.
A 100% Consolata Welcome in San Pedro
The pilgrimage began in San Pedro, the seat of the delegation and Missionary Animation Center (CAM) since 2023. The community of the Consolata Friends, founded in 2015, warmly welcomed this spiritual and fraternal initiative. Gathered around the first statue of the saint that arrived with the missionaries. The Consolata Friends in San Pedro expressed their enthusiasm through songs, dances, and commemorative photos. This initiative is a living encounter between the Founder, Saint Joseph Allamano and the Christian communities entrusted to the Consolata missionaries throughout Ivory Coast.
The statue, a tangible symbol of Allamano’s spiritual and missionary legacy, will visit each IMC community in the country until January 2027, concluding with a festive closing during the annual missionary assembly at San Pedro’s CAM. It will carry the hopes and prayers of all, connecting the faithful and Friends of Consolata of the delegation in a shared spirit of devotion and gratitude.
Activities to Rekindle the Flame of Being One Family
Several animation activities were proposed to help people better understand our Founder and deepen his devotion. Among them:
Moments of teaching and sharing through living testimonies about the life and work of Saint Joseph Allamano, highlighting his love for missions and his spiritual paternity.
A special “notebook of graces” has been opened to collect in writing all the graces, miracles, and signs of the Founder in our daily lives. Already, its pages are being filled with moving stories of guidance, vocations, and providential interventions.
Times of intense prayer in our missionary and parish communities, as well as in our formation house, missionary animation center, and works of consolation, where the statue is presented and intentions are entrusted to the heart of Saint Joseph Allamano.
These initiatives, born during the last Assembly of 2026, aim to strengthen the spiritual life of the communities and to carry forward the missionary spirit inherited from the Founder with renewed energy.
A Double Missionary Jubilee
This pilgrimage takes place within the exceptional context of the centenary of the birth into heaven of Saint Joseph Allamano (1926–2026). It also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the arrival of the first three Consolata missionaries in Ivory Coast, in 1996.
The delegation, placed under the protection of the saint, sees in this journey a special grace to renew its missionary commitment ad gentes, in a fruitful and adaptive way, to face the current challenges of a changing Africa.
Through this pilgrimage, missionaries and faithful are invited to walk together with Saint Joseph Allamano, father and guide of missionary families, to strengthen the Gospel in the Ivorian land. Follow the stages of this beautiful journey on our website and join us in prayer!
For more information, also visit the YouTube channel of the Consolata Missionaries in Ivory Coast: @consolataivoire.
*Fr. Ariel Tosoni, IMC, missionary in Ivory Coast.
The Consolata missionaries arrived in the Ivory Coast on January 23, 1996.