The International Spiritual Year (ISY) of the SMA officially began this Thursday, 1 October 2026, at the Centre Brésillac in Abomey-Calavi, Benin. The opening took place on the liturgical memorial of St Thérèse of Lisieux, Patroness of Missions, a fitting beginning for a year dedicated to prayer, discernment and preparation for missionary life.

At 10.00 am, members of the formation community gathered in the chapel at the heart of the Centre Brésillac for the opening Eucharistic Celebration. The Mass was presided over by Fr Sylestre Tchegbéhou, SMA, Provincial Councillor and delegate of the Superior of the Benin-Niger Province.

The five members of the formation team – Fr Luc N’Dah, Fr Andrzej Grych, Fr Athanas Dotto, Fr Abel Attikassou and Fr Antonio Porcellato – concelebrated the Mass together with 42 seminarians who have come from 12 different countries to begin their Spiritual Year.

The 42 seminarians represent a rich diversity of cultures and experiences. They come from two Asian countries: India and the Philippines; and ten African countries: Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

Together, they form the 39th intake at the Centre Brésillac in Calavi. The history of the Spiritual Year goes back to 1988, when the first group began its formation journey.

Their arrival marks the beginning of a year in which these young men will be invited to deepen their discernment of God’s call and to discover more clearly what missionary life with the Society of African Missions may mean for them.

During the Eucharistic Prayer, Fr Luc N’Dah prayed for the Lord’s mercy and blessing upon all those present, calling each seminarian by name. Their names were also displayed at the base of the altar, placing the members of the new Spiritual Year visibly at the center of the community’s prayer.

Before the final blessing, Fr Luc read a message of greetings from Fr Damian Bresnahan, Vicar General responsible for initial formation, who addressed both the formation team and the 42 seminarians on behalf of the SMA Generalate in Rome.

Reflecting on the feast of St Thérèse, Fr Damian noted how appropriate it was that the new Spiritual Year should begin on the feast of the Patroness of the Missions.

“What a fitting and apt day to begin the new SMA International Spiritual Year.”

He welcomed the seminarians to the Centre Brésillac and described their arrival as the beginning of a new stage in their discernment towards missionary life with the Society of African Missions.

Fr Damian encouraged them to use the Spiritual Year as a time of attentive listening, not only to God, but also to themselves and to the people with whom they will share the formation journey.

“I pray that the Lord will bless you with the gifts that you need to help your listening… to the Lord Himself, to yourself and to those around you in the SMA Community.”

He reminded the seminarians that discernment is not simply about asking what they want for their future, but about discovering more clearly what God may be asking of them.

“Your life is precious. May your reflection and discernment during this Spiritual Year help you to discover more clearly what the Lord wants of you in the life he has blessed you with.”

The choice of St Thérèse’s feast as the opening day also provided a simple spiritual direction for the year ahead.

Fr Damian concluded his message by recalling one of the lessons associated with the spirituality of St Thérèse:

“Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.”

For a Spiritual Year that will be made up of prayer, community life, study, reflection and daily responsibilities, the reminder is particularly appropriate. Missionary formation is not built only through major events or decisive moments. It also takes shape through the ordinary experiences of each day and through the way each person learns to respond to God with generosity and love.

With the message of the Vicar General read to the community, Fr Luc formally declared the 2026–27 Spiritual Year open.

The 42 seminarians now begin their journey together at Centre Brésillac. Coming from different countries, cultures and personal experiences, they will spend the coming months learning to live as one international formation community while continuing the most important work of the year: listening, discerning and seeking to understand where God is calling them.

As they begin this journey on the feast of the Patroness of the Missions, the words of St Thérèse offer a simple invitation for the year ahead: to recognize that every moment matters when it is lived with love.

Based on information from Fr Antonio Porcellato, SMA