Mission stories
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Bélémboké: 50 Years of Walking Alongside the Ba’Aka
In 1973, a French fidei donum priest, Fr Michel Lambert, embarked on an ambitious undertaking in the heart of the Central African forest: establishing a mission at Bélémboké. His missionary vision combined the proclamation of the Gospel with a concrete commitment to the Indigenous populations, particularly the Ba’Aka, aimed at defending their dignity, promoting their…
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A New Year Begins at the Generalate: Caring for the Vineyard Entrusted to Us
The Generalate community in Rome has officially opened its new pastoral and academic year, beginning a new stage in the life of the house. The celebration marked a distinct moment in the life of the Generalate, separate from the Curia’s working session held the previous weeks. While that session focused on the work and responsibilities…
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With the Little Flower: The 39th SMA Spiritual Year Begins in Calavi
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…
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Who Are You Working For?
It began rather casually. Among the many things we were discussing, someone told a story about a gardener who once asked a bishop a surprisingly simple question: “Who are you working for?” It is a simple question, but perhaps one worth bringing into our own reflection on missionary life. At first, the answer seems obvious.…
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A New Chapter of Missionary Collaboration: “You Too, Come to My Vineyard”
Nantes, 19 September 2026 — Bishop Laurent Percerou with the new SMA team, SMA confreres, OLA Sisters, diocesan clergy and concelebrants at the installation of Fr. Yves Tchogli Koffi Tognisse at Saint-Barthélemy-entre-Loire-et-Divatte.
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Dromantine at 100: A Century of Mission, Formation and Welcoming
This year marks a century since the SMA made Dromantine its home. On 21 September 1926, 47 seminarians arrived from the SMA seminary at Blackrock Road in Cork. Eight days later, on 29 September, Dromantine was officially opened as a major seminary. It was the beginning of a remarkable chapter. The decision to establish the…
