Rocca di Papa, Rome – 26 May 2025

The second week of the 22nd General Assembly of the Society of African Missions (SMA) opened under bright Roman skies, mirroring the spirit of renewed energy and hope among delegates. As participants reconvened, a fundamental question set the tone for the day’s reflection: “What is the Lord calling the SMA to be in the next six years?”

This question marked the beginning of a pivotal phase in the Assembly. Delegates were also invited to consider what kind of Assembly document they wished to produce—a document that would not merely reflect on the past, but boldly guide the Society into its future.

A Shared Vision Begins to Emerge

Grouped around their discussion tables, members engaged in deep listening, discernment, and exchange of ideas. What emerged was a strong desire for a document that is short, clear, and focused—a practical and inspirational roadmap faithful to the SMA’s identity, yet open to new realities.

Delegates emphasized the need for a document that:

• Provides direction for both members and leadership during the six-year mandate.
• Draws from the SMA’s history and missionary traditions.
• Reflects a shared process of discernment from the entire Assembly.
• Encourages deeper engagement with the peripheries of society.
• Opens the Society to collaboration with lay missionaries and local churches.
• Recommits the SMA to its charism with generosity and audacity.

One resonant idea was the call to rediscover the heart of the Society’s missionary vocation—to be authentic missionaries of hope to the people of Africa and of African origin.

Fr. Hugh Lagan and Fr. Dennis Etti, reflecting on the day’s discussions, highlighted the spiritual depth and communal energy shaping the Assembly’s work. Their testimonies pointed to a collective desire to be both faithful and forward-looking.

Laying the Foundation for a Final Document

The day also included initial conversations about the form and structure of the final Assembly document. Delegates agreed that the document should not be a compilation of fragmented ideas, but a unified and living expression of the Assembly’s discernment—an orientation text that captures the Society’s missionary identity and evolving context.

While many concrete ideas have already emerged, participants acknowledged that these proposals would need to be further refined. Some may be merged, others rephrased, to arrive at a coherent and generally agreed document that speaks with one voice.

Moving Forward Together

As the day closed, one essential insight stood out: the central question—What is the Lord asking of the SMA?—is already yielding its first answers. In the hearts of delegates, in the richness of their conversations, and in the growing clarity of their shared vision, a new chapter is beginning to take shape.

In the coming days, the Assembly will continue to discern, refine, and articulate this vision—writing, together, the next chapter of the Society’s mission story.

By Dominic Wabwireh