SMA and OLA Celebrate a Triple Jubilee in Lagos

By Pierre Paul Dossekpli

Lagos, Nigeria — June 1, 2026. In a moment that brought together history, mission, and renewal, the leaders of the Society of African Missions (SMA) and the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) gathered at the Domus Fidei Centre of the Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus in Lagos, Nigeria, to celebrate a rare triple jubilee: 170 years of the SMA, founded by Venerable Melchior de Marion Brésillac; 150 years of the OLA; and 200 years since the birth of Fr. Augustin Planque — first Superior General of the SMA and founder of the OLA.

The OLA unit superiors had joined the SMA superiors on May 31st, 2026, after the conclusion of the SMA plenary council. The sisters’ arrival set the tone for what followed: warm welcomes, laughter, and an atmosphere that one participant described as the joy of siblings from the same parents.

A Day Rooted in Prayer

The day began with a Lectio Divina led by Sr. Anne Falola, a member of the OLA General Council. Structured around the theme Being Together… Walking Together… Running Together, the reflection drew on three scriptural moments: being together in faith and friendship with the Lord (Jn 1:39; Mk 3:14; Acts 2:42–47); walking together in discernment and trust (Lk 24:13–35; Mk 6:7); and running together in love and hope toward the risen Lord (Jn 20:1–11).

Sr. Falola offered a thought that would resonate throughout the day: coming together is not only for the sake of mission — it is itself a mission.

Two Voices, One Charism

The opening addresses brought together the two leaders of both institutions. Fr. François du Penhoat, Superior General of the SMA, opened with a reflection on the long and complex shared history of the two congregations, likening it to an old couple who has been through times of intense love and separation, and who now meet again saying: “We are better when we get along.”

Fr. du Penhoat was clear that this meeting was not born of necessity but of desire: “I am firmly convinced that this meeting is also the opening of a new stage. It is not necessity that demands it — it is our desire and our will!”

He drew on the parable of the Prodigal Son to frame this return — but with a distinctive addition: “We want to return to you, our Father, but we want to make the journey together, OLA and SMA.”

He grounded their shared identity in history and sacrifice: “Being missionaries is what makes our common identity: the shared cemeteries of Lagos, Ibadan, Agoué and other places on the Coast are the physical manifestation of this — lives given together so that the Kingdom of God might grow.”

Sr. Mary T. Barron, Superior General of the OLA, welcomed the gathering by recalling the significance of the triple jubilee: “Anniversaries like these are not simply milestones; they are invitations. They remind us that mission is always a gift received, a responsibility shared, and a future entrusted to us.”

She recalled the last similar meeting held in Accra in January 2016, and told the now-legendary story of the bus that broke down during an outing — stopping directly in front of a sign reading Collaboration that profits. “We laughed at the time,” she said, “but the message stayed with us. It still speaks today. Collaboration that profits — not in the commercial sense, but in the Gospel sense: collaboration that bears fruit, that strengthens communion, that enlarges the heart for mission.”

She was direct about what collaboration means in the context of mission: “It is not just something that is good to do, or nice, we enjoy it… it is a part of our call to mission today… for the authenticity of our mission, of our witness, of our evangelization.”

Sharing the Mission Across Continents

The rest of the morning was given over to presentations from different units, each sharing how SMA and OLA collaborate on the ground. The exchange painted a picture of a shared charism expressed across diverse cultures and contexts — from West Africa and beyond.

A Promising First Day

At the end of the day, Sr. Rita Dung, OLA District Superior for Tanzania, shared her reflections with SMA Media: “Today has been a very hopeful day for me, in the sense that I have realized the challenges SMAs are facing are almost the same we are also facing and, in the room there, I found that there is that energy for collaboration. People are willing to collaborate.”

Providentially, the day closed with the celebration of the Eucharist on the feast of Saint Justin — a martyr who gave his life for the truth of the Gospel, a fitting patron for a gathering of missionaries renewing their shared commitment to proclaim it.

The triple jubilee meeting in Lagos marks more than an anniversary. As Fr. du Penhoat put it, imagining Fr. Planque in heaven: “I imagine Fr. Planque in heaven, going to find Brésillac and saying: ‘They are gathered together in Lagos — how magnificent! What a beautiful anniversary gift!’”