15 décembre 2022
Keur Moussa l'Abbaye du Senegal
© Franck RENOIR / Divergence
Africa, Senegal, Keur Moussa. Originally made up of nine Benedictine monks from the Abbey of Solesmes, the community now has about forty members. The community is international with two thirds of its members being Senegalese, but there are also Beninese, Cameroonians, Congolese, French, Gabonese and Guineans. On 30 January 1984, the monastery became an autonomous abbey of the Solesmes Congregation. Apart from the component of their religious life which is "manual work" and helping the people of the region, the originality of the abbey is in the use of traditional instruments and mainly the Kora which was given to the community in 1964 by a Senegalese diocesan priest. The monks themselves design the kora and the methods for teaching this traditional instrument and Brother Dominique Catta, one of the founding monks, has composed specific pieces, notably intended for the accompaniment of community songs. The founding monks inherited the tradition of Gregorian chant practiced by Solesmes, the founding abbey. Keur Moussa remained faithful to this heritage, while opening up to the orientations given by the Vatican II Council in 1963. As regards liturgical music in mission countries: "Local musical traditions will be given the esteem due to them and the appropriate place". The community has received the Albert Schweitzer prize and Father Catta was elevated in 2016, by Senegal, to the rank of Living Human Tresor recognised by UNESCO. Like any abbey, the community is punctuated by the different masses (Vigils, Lauds, Thirds, Mass and Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline) and meals as well as recreation and siesta, the study of sacred texts but also the numerous works (agriculture, transformation of agricultural products, medicinal plants, cheeses, alcohol, bread, kora making, dress making, household chores, gardening....). They sell some of these products in their shop. They have a dispensary and a primary school run by nuns. They employ outsiders to help them with various task
Lieu : Keur Moussa, SENEGAL
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