"I was lost, and am found"
Father León Douyon from Mali was kidnapped by armed men in June before being release on 13 July. He gave a message of thanksgiving to God for his release at his first public Mass following his release.
By ACN Staff
Father León Douyon following his release. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
On the 21 June, Father León Douyon, Catholic priest from the town of Ségué in the Diocese of Mopti, Mali, was abducted by armed men. Fr. León was traveling on road from Ségué and San when he was abducted. Four of his parishioners, who were traveling with him, were also abducted but released after a few hours. On the 13 July, Fr. León was also released. A prayer campaign was begun in Mali and abroad after news of Fr León’s kidnapping broke.
Father León Douyon at the church of Our Lady of the Annunciation. (Credit: Aid to the Church in Need)
On Sunday 18 July, Fr. León was able to celebrate Holy Mass at the church of Our Lady of the Annunciation in the town of Sévaré. Fr. León gave his first public message since his release:
“Everything is the work of Grace. Ever since that day you set in motion a chain of prayer. Every one of you, through the Rosary and other prayers, called upon God our Liberator…Thanks to your prayers and blessings on every side, you now have me once again among you to continue with the mission of Jesus Christ. Thank you again and again for everything you have done for me, for my family, for the family of the faithful. Thank you, thank you so much!”
On his kidnapping and release, Fr. León said:
“I was lost, and have been found. I was dead, and I am alive again.”
Fr León did not forget others in what must have been personally a very emotional occasion for him. He asked that we do not forget to keep Sister Gloria in our prayers. Sr. Gloria is a Colombian religious sister in Mali who was kidnapped in 2017 by an Islamist group. She is still held in captivity to this day. Her brother recently passed on to an ACN a note that he received from his sister, via the Red Cross.
Since 2012, Islamist groups have been carrying out an insurgency in Mali. These groups such as Group for the Support of Islam and the Muslims (GSMI), Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) and the Islamic State of the Greater Sahara (ISGS) are often linked with Al Qaeda and ISIS. The Islamist groups often use kidnappings for financing their insurgency through ransoms and also to gain political leverage.
The majority of Mali’s population are Sunni Muslims. Around 13% of the population are non-Muslims. Most of the non-Muslims follow traditional African religions. Christians make up just slightly over 2% of the population. The majority of Mali’s Christians are Catholics.