The Society of African Missions is a missionary congregation founded in 1856 by Bishop Marion Brésillac
The Society of African Missions currently has 901 members and associates, priests and laity present in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Nigeria, Niger, Central African Republic, Togo, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic enRépublique of Congo, Zambia, and South Africa. They are also present in Europe: France, Ireland, England, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Spain; America: Canada, United States and Asia: India and Philippines. In 2010, the priests of the African missions are responsible for a hundred paroisses2. The Society of African Missions leads including actions for health, promoting the status of women, access to drinking water, agriculture and education.
The Society of African Missions is organized into Provinces (Britain, Ireland, Italy, USA, Lyon and the Netherlands) in Districts (Canada, Spain and Strasbourg), in Districts-in-Formation (Bight of Benin, Gulf of Guinea, Great Lakes, India, Philippines, Poland). Its head office is based in Rome where the General Superior and his Council shall ensure the unity and the animation of the whole Society.
Awareness and appreciation of Africa
Life in the midst of Africans allowed the missionaries gradually discover problems but also the wealth of their hosts and testify today as yesterday and human values spiritueles Africans.
Missionaries, men and women, passionate about life and culture of Africans working to meet the needs of everyday life:
- boarding schools for young students away from their families;
- shelters with tables and lighting for young people to study in the evening;
- organization of a basic vocational training for street children;
- shelters equipped with showers, toilets and care for children left to themselves ...
In the areas of health, missionaries, and especially religious, have often been the first to open dispensaries or even hospitals. Then the states with the most powerful means, have supported these services. Today, missionaries intervene to help the infirm to get wheelchairs. They are particularly attentive to help victims of AIDS.
SMA missionaries also intervene to help the inhabitants of a village to get them to dig their wells, we build them a bridge or a road that will open up the region and insert in trade flows.
They engage in these development works with Christian motivations: yet Jesus said, "Arise and walk" to those who do not have the courage to take their fate in their hands and make the earth more habitable .
