The Society of African Missions (SMA) is an international community of Catholic missionary priests who serve the people of Africa in Africa and people of African descent around the world. 

On 8 December 1856, six companions surrounding the founder, Mgr de Marion-Brésillac went up to the Basilica of Fourvière where they expressed their resolve to dedicate themselves to the work of the SMA. This is the Foundation day of the Institute.

People often ask, why SMA and not SAM? SMA is actually the accronyme of Societas Missionum ad Afros, the official name of the institute in latin, and not an abbreviation of its french (Société des Missions africaines) or english translations (Society of african Missions).  

1858: on 4 November, less than two years after its foundation, the first SMA missionaries embarked in Marseille for Gorée and later Freetown in the Vicariate of Sierra Leone. The territory had just been entrusted to the SMA. The missionaries were Fr. Louis Reymond, Fr. Jean-Baptiste Bresson and Brother Eugene.

1859: On 14 May, the Founder himself arrived in Sierra Leone accompanied by Fr. Louis Riocreux and Brother Gratien. Yellow fever, a deadly tropical disease, had broken out.

1859:
         On 2 June Fr. Riocreux died aged 27 ;
         On 5 June Fr. Bresson died aged 47 ;
         On 13 June Br. Gratien died aged 29 ;
         On 25 June,  only six weeks of his arrival in Africa, Bishop de Brésillac himself died aged 46.
         On 28 June, to complete the sacrifice, Fr. Reymond died aged 36.
         The ill Brother Eugene was taken back to France by ship.

Despite the tragedy, the newly trained SMA missionary priests and brothers, who had remained behind in France, were still eager to go to Africa to carry out the mission started by their Founder. The work and vision of Mgr de Brésillac continued under the care of his close friend, advisor and successor, Fr. Augustin Planque.

Since January 1928, the mortal remains of Bishop Brésillac have been interred in the chapel of the Society of African Missions in Lyon, France.

The SMA at present has 950 members. And they come from Africa, America, Asia and Europe and work in 18 African countries and as well as in Europe, in the Americas and in Asia.

The SMA’s from Africa and Asia are members of our more recent foundations (1983). These African members come from Benin, Central Africa, Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo and Zambia.  Asian members come from India and the Philippines. American members come from Argentina, Canada and the USA.  European members come from Belgium, Britain, France, Holland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain.  The Society welcomes all who agree to work for its aim and accept the style of life it proposes.

And today the SMA missionaries are supported by Our Lady of Apostles Sisters (OLA : Founded by Fr. Augustin Planque in 1876), Missionary Catechist Sisters of Manton (MSCS), Lay missionaries and volunteers from the countries where the SMA is present. They work in the following areas: primary evangelisation, health, education, social development, women liberation and empowerment, migration, interreligious, intercultural, and ecumenical dialogues, human development, in peace, justice and integration, prison ministry, and many other humanitarian activities.

Today, keeping alive the missionary heritage of the society, younger missionaries are proud to say following Mgr de Brésillac’s (our Founder) zeal : « to be a missionary from the bottom of my heart », and « my mission will continue as long as there are people of good will… »

Happy feast to one and all.

 Guvvala Joseph
 Media Center – Lyon.