Our Founder is now "Venerable!"

Homage to John Comby (1931-2021)

Father Jean Comby was a prominent professor of Church History, was born in March 1931, and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Lyon in 1959. He died on May 21, 2020 (Solemnity of the Ascension) at the age of 89, after a long battle with several cancers.   

Lecturer and researcher

During his 61 years of ministry, Father Comby distinguished himself as a brilliant teacher and professor in seminaries, universities, and catechetical training centers.

In memory of Father Jean Comby

Jean was a great friend since 1963 when he started teaching Church History at the African Missions seminary in Lyon. He was then teaching history at the Minor Seminary of Lyon Diocese, which was situated next to the cathedral. He lent many books from his library, particularly the biographies of "dissidents" such as Wicliff or John Huss, and Luther and Calvin. I remember passing an oral exam just on my readings. He was very appreciated by all and all the seminarians were unanimous on the high quality of his courses and his sense of pedagogy.
Thanks to Jean and Joseph Hardy SMA, I developed a great interest in Church Fathers and their writing; this thereafter made us to often meet on “rue Sala” or with Lyon friends of “Sources Chrétiennes”, a place our brother Michel Dujarier eventually chose for his research.

Tanga – a house on the hill that wants to make a difference.

Tanga in the Swahili language means “a sail”. It is also the name given to a new home for vulnerable youth and children, especially with albinism, built by the SMA Tanzanian Region/District in Mwanza, Tanzania. It is a place where fourteen young girls and boys will find security, high-quality holistic education, good living conditions, but most of all family care and love. In recent years, especially in the last decade, the Albino population in Tanzania has experienced a big increase in violence against them. There have been numerous attacks on the Albino people, in which some of them were mutilated or even killed.

Our common home: The fifth anniversary of the papal encyclical Laudato Si'

“LAUDATO SI', mi' Signore” – “Glory to Thee, my Lord.” These words open Pope Francis' encyclical on ecology and the care of God's creation. They are taken from the beautiful canticle of St. Francis of Assisi (in the English translation known as The Canticle of the Sun) and remind us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.

The Encyclical Laudato Si’ was published on June 18^th, 2015. To mark the fifth anniversary of this event, Pope Francis invites all Catholics and people of goodwill from all over the world to celebrate this event together. “Laudato Si' Week” (18-24 May 2020) is intended to be an opportunity to sensitize all people to the problems that affect everyone today, regardless of their religion, skin colour, the language they speak, or place of residence. It is also an invitation to protect families and future generations by working to take care of our common home. The themes that Pope Francis emphasized in “Laudato Si” require our urgent response today. The current pandemic only highlights the fragility of both human existence and contemporary socio-economic systems, which very often lack respect for the human person and what surrounds him/her.

"Watch out! Stay away. I might contaminate you!"

If Jean-Paul Sartre were to write the play "Huis Clos» at the moment when the Covid-19 creates a psychosis, he would assert with more conviction than before that "hell is the others." It would not be surprising that most of us would concur with him. Perhaps we do not dare to speak like Sartre out of benevolence towards others. Sartre explains his position by saying that if relations with others are twisted, flawed, then the other can only be hell.

08-05-1920 – 08-05-2020: Father Folmer celebrates his 100th birthday!

Father Jean-Baptiste Folmer of the province of Strasbourg celebrates his 100th birthday. On this occasion, the Superior General, Father Antonio Porcellato, sent him his wishes on behalf of the whole Society. In view of the health crisis of Covid-19, this jubilee will be celebrated on 08 December 2020 at the retirement home of the African Missions in Saint-Pierre where Fr. Jean Baptiste resides.

Here is the message of the Superior General:

"Very dear Fr. John, you are 100 years of age! Our best wishes for a happy birthday in the Lord! You are also the elder of the entire Society of African Missions and today all its members (Bishops, Priests, Brothers, Temporary Members, and Honorary Members), about a thousand people scattered across all continents, look to you and rejoice with you.

Ancient faith, new practices: Catholics in Lockdown

Catholic Masses with the faithful are suspended, Holy Water is removed at the entrance to churches, the 'flock' is ill and dispersed. Nevertheless, the Church shows its resilience, and therefore, all is not lost. Catholic communities around the world respond to the challenge of the Covid-19 crisis by finding new ways to practice their faith. But how can the faithful discover a (new) meaning in these difficult times?