Christians and Muslims gather for Nativity Mass

It is a highly anticipated moment, a few days before Christmas: the installation of the nativity scene in the chapel of an abbey fifty kilometers from Dakar, in Senegal. The African figures are placed in a stable with a straw roof. About forty Benedictine monks lead a life of prayer there. And that morning, a program a little different from usual awaits them: “We are going to prepare for the Christmas party”, announces one of the monks. Gregorian chants, African instruments and percussions punctuate the services.

The instruments are made and restored on site, in a workshop where the brothers work. Since the birth of the abbey in 1963, the religious have integrated into local life. However, in the village, 95% of the population is Muslim. A cohabitation that extends into the abbey garden, where Christians and Muslims work side by side… and even celebrate Christmas together. “It is something very beautiful that we live together. Each one respects the religion of the other”, details a worker.