The couvent Sainte Rita de Cascia in Lomé (Togo) is the fourth house in the Belgian province. This community was founded at the invitation of Mgr Denis Amuzu-Dzakpah, then archbishop of the place, according to his note dated August 3, 2017. General, Father Alejandro Moral Anton officially established this new community on November 17, 2017. This new mission of the Belgian province, which is at the same time a house of formation, officially began its activities with the opening mass, marking the official entry into the postulancy of six (6) candidates on November 25, 2017 within the confines of the said convent. Started in a rented house, we are currently the owner thanks to the help given to us by the province of Belgium.

Called “Order of Saint Augustine in French- speaking West Africa” (O.S.A.W.E.S.T.A.F), this mission has as its primary objective the training of young candidates from West Africa wishing to become Augustinians. The formation house located in Togo therefore aims to welcome all aspirants to religious life from French-speaking West Africa.

As the Order advises us, this training must take seriously not only the religious and academic aspects of training, but also the psycho-affective, human, pastoral aspects; in a word, it is about forming the complete man. To achieve this objective the formation team, in common agreement with the then provincial, Father Paul de Wit, set up projects to help the brothers in formation to grow according to the Augustinian spirit and so that they are able to face the difficulties of life. To this end, we also have small development projects in which the brothers actively participate. We want to help young people become aware of the wealth that abounds in the African continent and how they can participate in their own economic development through small businesses.

On the pastoral level, we have a chapel built with the help of the Belgian province, a chapel open to the public and which was consecrated on December 18th, 2022 by the Archbishop of Lomé Monsigneur Nicodème Barrigah.

Thus our presence is a community project which materializes in the establishment of a structure of aid to the Church in Africa and of presence to the sufferings of the African people based on Augustinian spirituality.

We currently have 10 brothers in training at the Sainte Rita Convent in Lomé, from Benin, South Sudan, Nigeria and Togo. This small community is led by three training brothers including Father Jean-Paul Django Diby, Father Prior of the community.

The number of brothers members of the province of Belgium (Belgium Benin Togo): 26 in perpetual vows (from different countries Belgium, Netherlands, Vietnam, Benin, Togo, Ivory Coast, South Sudan, Congo) but 44 brothers in training.