Ivory Coast: A Marian Tower Erected in Abidjan

The construction of the monument was personally financed by the Catholic mayor of the municipality, Jean-Marc Yacé.

In his homily, the Archbishop of Abidjan declared that the construction of this Marian monument affirmed and showed to the inhabitants of Cocody and all Ivory Coast how the maternal presence of the Mother of the Church in this place is a presence both reassuring and protective. This is the essence of the presence of every mother.

He recalled that because of the unique and undeniable role played by Mary in the history of salvation, the consecration to the Blessed Virgin is a privileged and effective way of living our faith in Christ.

On this feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Ivorian prelate reminded the faithful of the commitment to which this month is specially consecrated. “We want, on this day and at the foot of this Marian tower, to welcome the maternal request of the Virgin, by committing ourselves to recite with faith the rosary for peace in families, in nations, and in the whole world.

“We know that true peace spreads where men and institutions open themselves to the Gospel. So, let us together commit to open wide the doors of our hearts and our lives, in order to let to evangelical values infuse us!” he urged.

“I pray that, at the foot of this tower, we will meet in order to demonstrate that it is possible to build bridges rather than towers of Babel: bridges that connect us to God, but also to our brothers and sisters!” the cardinal declared.

For his part, Mayor Jean-Marc Yacé expressed his wish that “this tower may bring its light, its grace and its peace, and a national cohesion.” A 62-year-old business manager, he has run this municipality of around 500,000 inhabitants since 2018 and was reelected in September for a new five-year term of office.

On October 28, 2019, he had consecrated his municipality to “the august mother of God, the most holy Virgin Mary,” during a Mass celebrated at the parish of St. John.