Louisiana nun kidnapped in Africa reportedly found alive nearly 5 months later, Catholic Church says

Natalie Neysa Alund
Updated ·2 min read
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An American nun in her eighties who U.S. federal officials said was kidnapped in Africa nearly five months ago has been found alive, the Catholic Church reported Wednesday.

Sister Suellen Tennyson, a member of the Marianites of Holy Cross in Louisiana, was kidnapped by armed gunmen on April 4 in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, the FBI previously reported.

According to the FBI, Tennyson, was 83 when gunmen kidnapped her from her home near Kaya, the fifth largest city in Burkina Faso, a landlocked country bordered by Ghana and Niger.

A letter sent to Marianites of Holy Cross said Tennyson, an American citizen, was free and in U.S. hands in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Wednesday reportedly in good health after being released by her captors.

Sister Suellen Tennyson, a member of the Marianites of Holy Cross based in Louisiana, was kidnapped by armed gunmen on April 4, 2022 in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, the FBI reported.
Sister Suellen Tennyson, a member of the Marianites of Holy Cross based in Louisiana, was kidnapped by armed gunmen on April 4, 2022 in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, the FBI reported.

Church officials said the nun was taken by 10 gunmen without her blood pressure medication. The church statement about her release, though, said she was still in good health after nearly five months in captivity.

“We have no information on the conditions of her release but we express our profound gratitude to those who worked toward it," Kaya Bishop Theophile Nare said.

“We are grateful to God for the safety of Sr Suellen,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The FBI and Marianites of Holy Cross could not immediately be reached for comment by USA TODAY.

Gunmen kidnapped Tennyson from her home in Yalgo, about 62 miles northeast of Kaya. Two other nuns – one from Canada and one from Burkina Faso – and two young Burkinabe women who were living in the same house, were not taken.

Tennyson, an American citizen, has been a missionary in Burkina Faso since 2014 and previously worked in the New Orleans archdiocese for many years.

Catholic church officials in the West African nation of Burkina Faso say an American nun has been freed after spending nearly five months in captivity. Sister Suellen Tennyson, who was 83 at the time gunmen kidnapped her from her home, is reported to be in good health.
Catholic church officials in the West African nation of Burkina Faso say an American nun has been freed after spending nearly five months in captivity. Sister Suellen Tennyson, who was 83 at the time gunmen kidnapped her from her home, is reported to be in good health.

Jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State in the Sahel, the vast expanse south of the Sahara Desert, have long taken foreign hostages for ransom to fund operations.

American aid worker Jeffrey Woodke, who was kidnapped from Niger in 2016, is among those who remain in captivity.

Video: Men convicted for plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Contributing: The Associated Press writers Arsene Kabore and Krista Larson.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American nun kidnapped in African found alive nearly 5 months later