Reflection: A Senegalese missionary in the heart of Africa

This article has been written in memory of Benoît Gueye, the first UAF member to work in South Africa.

A pastor close to his people, a generous missionary and a tireless builder, Father Benoît Sitor Gueye devoted his life to spreading the Gospel. From Senegal to South Africa, his ministry had a profound impact on the communities he served.

Father Benoît Sitor Gueye was born in the land of Sibassor on 3 June 1968, in the Kaolack region of Senegal. In this land where family values, solidarity and faith occupy a prominent place in daily life, he grew up in a community deeply rooted in tradition and spirituality.

From an early age, he showed a particular sensitivity to the life of the Church and a deep desire to serve God in the image of his great mentor, Father André Stephen, parish priest of St Joseph’s parish in Sibassor at the time. This inner calling led him to commit himself to religious life within the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), a religious family animated by a strong missionary spirituality and a desire to make known the love of the Heart of Christ throughout the world.

After a period of formation and discernment, he made his first religious profession on 15 August 1994 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This moment marked a public and profound commitment to follow Christ in religious life and to serve the mission of the Church.

Continuing his formation, he pursued his theological studies in Cameroon between 1994 and 1998. These years were an important stage in his spiritual and intellectual journey. They allowed him to deepen his faith, his knowledge of theology and his understanding of the Church’s mission in the contemporary world.

On 24 July 1999, he made his perpetual profession, definitively consecrating his life to God in the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. A few months later, on 6 December 2000, he was ordained a priest, thus becoming a servant of the Gospel and a pastor of the people of God. His ordination motto was: ‘For me, to live is Christ.’

Committed pastor in Senegal
After his ordination, Father Benoît was sent on mission to the parish of Dr. Sy Pierre de Gossas for two years and then to Notre Dame du L’aghem de Ndoffane, where he served as parish priest from 2002 to 2009. This first decade of priestly ministry was particularly significant in terms of revitalizing the parish, which was now in the hands of indigenous priests for the first time. Thanks to his love for children, he modernized the boarding school and developed the garden to improve the children’s diet. He built the parish wall and acquired 10 hectares of land on behalf of the diocese near Tandabar for an agricultural farm.

In this parish, he proved to be a pastor deeply committed to the life of his community. Close to the faithful and attentive to the human and social realities of his environment, he strove to make the parish a living place of faith, fraternity and Christian commitment.

His pastoral dynamism was evident in several areas: the formation of the faithful, the accompaniment of apostolic movements, the promotion of lay participation and the development of parish structures. Those who knew him at that time remember him as a simple, accessible priest who was deeply committed to the spiritual growth of his faithful.

But at the heart of his pastoral commitment was always the missionary spirit of his congregation. For him, being a priest meant, above all, being sent, going where the Church needed witnesses to the Gospel.

A fruitful mission in South Africa
It was in this missionary spirit that Father Benoît was sent to South Africa in 2009. This new beginning marked an important stage in his priestly life. He was reunited with his mentor and idol, Father Stephen, in the same mission. He served as his curate while learning the local language, which was essential for his mission among the Venda people.

So, upon his arrival, he began by learning the Venda language in Thohoyandou, an essential step in integrating into the local culture and proclaiming the Gospel in an authentic way. During this period of adaptation, he worked as a curate, gradually discovering the pastoral and cultural realities of the country.

Thanks to his adaptability, simplicity and people skills, he quickly gained the trust and esteem of the local communities.

In 2012, he was appointed parish priest of Sibassa in the diocese of Tzaneen, a responsibility he held for nearly nine years, until 2021.
During this period, he distinguished himself as a devoted pastor and tireless builder. He worked to strengthen the spiritual life of the communities, encouraged the commitment of the faithful and developed the pastoral structures necessary for the growth of the local Church.

Father Benoît was also recognised as a great specialist and lover of the CVAV, which he accompanied with passion. Convinced of the importance of lay formation in the mission of the Church, he devoted much of his time to animating and accompanying this movement with children and young people.

In 2021, he was called to continue his mission in a new pastoral context by becoming parish priest in the Archdiocese of Pretoria. He thus became parish priest of Holy Trinity parish. True to his pastoral style, he continues to serve with generosity, closeness, and dedication.

A lasting spiritual legacy
Throughout his priestly life, Father Benoît Sitor Gueye embodied the ideal of the missionary: a man of faith, deeply attached to the Gospel, always ready to go where the Church calls him.

Those who knew him remember him as a simple, approachable and deeply human priest. His ability to listen, encourage and bring people together made him a much-loved and respected pastor.

The Lord called him home the day after the celebration of his 25 years of priesthood, as if this jubilee were the crowning glory of a life entirely devoted to the service of God and his people.

His passing leaves a great void in the hearts of his family, his fellow missionaries and the many communities he served in Senegal and South Africa. But his witness of faith and his missionary commitment remain a source of inspiration for all.

Father Benoît’s life reminds us that mission is, above all, an adventure of faith and self-giving. It consists in walking with people, sharing their joys and trials, and proclaiming the hope of the Gospel.

Today, the Church gives thanks for his life and for all the good he has sown.

And in faith, we believe that he who has served the Lord faithfully now hears these words:

‘Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Master’ (Mt 25:23).

Buama Demba, MSC. UAF