The Catholic mission in Berberati is one of the most substantial institutions in the city, with a cathedral, mission buildings, and a compound that has provided shelter and assistance to travelers and aid workers for over a century. Berberati is the seat of an archdiocese — the metropolitan see for the CAR's western ecclesiastical province — which gives it an importance in the Catholic hierarchy well beyond its size.
For visitors, the mission is often the most reliable source of practical information about the region: road conditions, security, access to the forests around town. The staff are generally well-informed about what is and isn't possible for outsiders to do in the current security environment, which in the CAR can change quickly.