June 28, 2024 – On the occasion of Saint John the Baptist’s Day, marking the annual feast of the Sovereign Order of Malta, a thanksgiving mass to the Order’s Patron Saint was held  at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cathedral in Libreville.

 Celebrated by Father Tiburce EDZIEDZIE, parish priest and Procurator of the Archdiocese of Libreville, in the presence of Monsignor Bielaszka, Chargé d’Affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature of Libreville, and Ambassador HE Jean-Hugues de Pradel de Lamaze, this mass provided an opportunity to rediscover Gabon’s very first Catholic cathedral.

 First inaugurated on August 5, 1864 and then abandoned since 1965, this historic monument was completely renovated by the will of religious associations and state authorities while respecting the architecture of its founder, the late Monsignor Jean Rémi Bessieux. The renovated cathedral was inaugurated on December 17, 2023 by the highest authorities of the Transition including HE President Brice Clotaire OLIGUI NGUEMA