In colonial Africa, Christianity promoted by missions often spread among socially subordinated or marginalised groups, including enslaved people. The White Fathers' mission of Notre-Dame du Ségou, in French Sudan, operated in a context that was deeply shaped by the legacy of the slave trade. The Bamana people of Ségou were active participants in the capture and redistribution of slaves, which constituted a structural aspect of their social and economic organisation. During the early years of colonial rule, the French administration adopted a relatively tolerant approach towards this institution, delaying its abolition and often relying on it. Within this setting, the relationship between the Missionaries of Africa and slavery developed along two distinct levels. Within the mission's internal discourse, the views of the White Fathers were deeply shaped by the abolitionist commitment of the congregation's founder, Monsignor Charles Lavigerie, and could at times take a critical stance towards colonial policies. From a practical point of view, however, slavery played a fundamental role in shaping the composition of the Christian community of Ségou, which was largely formed by individuals with backgrounds related to various forms of enslavement or dependency. Thus, the mission emerges as a space where abolitionist ideals and colonial realities converged, and where individuals who had been desocialised by the slave trade could be resocialised within a Christian framework