On the eve of the Plenary Council 2026, members of the General Council together with some Unit Superiors paid a courtesy visit to the Emeritus Archbishop of Ibadan, Most Rev. Felix Alaba Job.

The visit was marked by warmth, memory, and gratitude. For Archbishop Job, the encounter was not merely a formal visit. It was a moment to recall the deep and lasting impact the missionaries of the Society had on his own life and on the life of the Church in Nigeria.

Speaking to the visitors, the Emeritus Archbishop reflected on the role the SMA played in shaping generations of Nigerian clergy.

“The SMAs formed all of us,” he said, recalling how many of the priests who educated and accompanied him in his formation were SMA.

He shared personal memories from his early years in the Church. His own journey in the Church began in Ijebu-Ode, where the parish was first served by an SMA as far back as 1903.

Archbishop Job also recalled his ordination as a priest on Ijebu soil, a historic moment at the time, and how the SMA played a central role in his formation. Several of them had been his teachers both in the minor and major seminaries.

When he later became bishop, he remembered arriving in a diocese where the missionary presence was still very strong.

“When I came here as bishop,” he said, “I had only two diocesan priests and forty-six SMAs.”

Some of those missionaries had known him since his childhood. One had given him his First Holy Communion in 1948, while others had taught him during his years of formation.

Despite the difference in age and experience, he said they worked together with mutual respect and dedication in building the local Church.

Looking back on those years, the Emeritus Archbishop expressed deep gratitude for the missionary presence of the SMA that helped lay the foundations of the Church in the region.

“They formed us,” he repeated, emphasizing how decisive their contribution had been.

Before the visit concluded, the Emeritus Archbishop imparted his blessing on the members of the General Council and the Unit Superiors gathered for the Plenary Council.

He prayed that the Lord would continue to strengthen the Society and grant it many faithful missionaries for the future.

“May the Lord continue to strengthen you and give you more and more true missionaries,” he said, encouraging them to continue their commitment to the Gospel.

As the Plenary Council 2026 prepares to open, the visit served as a powerful reminder of the long history of mission that connects past and present. It was a moment of gratitude for those who laid the foundations, and a moment of blessing for those now entrusted with guiding the Society into its next chapter.

The Plenary Council opens tomorrow in Nigeria.

Brice Ulrich AFFERI