The Epiphany – a Manifestation of the Divine Nature of Jesus
God breaks through into our history - in Bethlehem He reveals Himself. The Three Kings came looking for Him and recognised God's presence in...
A Thought for the New Year on the Feast of Mary Mother of God
Fr Tom Casey from the SMA Media Centre in Ndola, Zambia has sent us this Reflection for New Year's Day - the Feast of...
Message of Pope Francis for the celebration of the 54th World Day of Peace...
Below is the Message of the Holy Father Francis for the 54th World Day of Peace, c
celebrated on 1 January 2021 on the theme...
SMA Parish Wilton – Christmas Eve Service
You are invited to join with the Parishioners and Priests of SMA Parish Wilton, Cork for a Christmas Service that remembers and honours the...
A Christmas letter from Fr Pat Kelly SMA
Yes, it will be a strange Christmas for all of us after a very strange 2020. Who would have imagined a year ago that...
SMA OLA CHRISTMAS SERVICE – from around the world
Welcome to our first ever on-line Christmas Service with messages from the the Provincial Leaders of the OLA and SMA as well as Prayers,...
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2020 – SMA Founders Day
Mary, Star of Evangelization
On 8 December 2020, the SMA celebrated the 164th anniversary of its foundation at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fourvière,...
The SMA celebrates 125 years in Ivory Coast
On December 8th, SMA Founders Day, La Croix International published the article below reporting that - the Society of African Missions (SMA) has been...
The Venerable Melchior de Marion Brésillac (1813 -1859) Founder of the Society of...
The 8th of December is SMA Founders Day - an occasion that is remembered and celebrated in SMA Houses and Parishes all around the...
Advent Reflections
This page contains the eight Advent Reflections from SMA Fathers and an OLA Sister. These were written and recorded especially for Advent in a...
Pope reiterates call to end modern day slavery
Slavery makes us "un-dignified" because it takes way everyone's dignity, Francis says in his International Day for the Abolition of Slavery message
By La Croix International...
ADVENT REFLECTIONS – “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
From Sunday 29th November 2020 you are invited to join us for a series of 8 short video Reflections on Advent presented by members...
Social friendship according to Pope Francis
This article from La Croix International throws light on the concept of 'Social Friendship', which is at the heart of "Fratelli tutti" and is...
Fr James Fegan SMA [RIP] – Obituary
The death has taken place, after a short illness, of Fr James Fegan SMA. Fr Fegan died peacefully at the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork,...
Fr James Fegan SMA [RIP] – Funeral homily
Fr James Fegan SMA passed to his eternal reward in the early morning of 9 November 2020 in the Bon Secours Hospital, Cork. Fr...
Stretch forth your hand to the poor” (Sir 7:32)
Fourth World Day of the Poor - November 15, 2020
World Day of the Poor takes place each year on the 33rd Sunday of the...
SMA NOVEMBER MEMORIAL EVENTS PLAYBACK
This year due to Coronavirus restrictions the SMA was unable to observe its traditional November remembrance of the dead in our Parishes and Houses. ...
Fr James Fegan SMA [RIP]
Click on this Weblink to join the funeral ceremonies for the late Fr James Fegan SMA.
The death has taken place, after a short illness, of...
Fr Pierluigi (Gigi) Maccalli SMA: “The strength came from above. I cried, prayed and...
Gigliola Alfaro, journalist of the SIR (Religious Information Service, Italian Bishops' News Agency), interviewed Fr Gigi Maccalli SMA, following his release by kidnappers on...
Human Trafficking in Ireland and Public Policy Response
European Anti-human Trafficking Day on 18th October is an important awareness raising day in the calendar and seeks to increase the exchange of information,...
A Message for Mission Sunday: Freed SMA calls for forgiveness and fraternity
After two years of silence and solitude, Father Gigi Maccalli SMA needed to feel at home, to feel welcomed and listened to. "He talked...
Italian SMAs say Thanks
Fr Ceferino Cainelli, Provincial Superior of the Italian Province and the members of the Italian Province addressed the following Message to all other SMAs...
Outspoken Catholic bishop is scathing in his criticism of Nigerian govt, president
By La Croix International staff | Nigeria
"Our country now looks like a boiling pot that everyone wants to escape from", says Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah...
Police brutality: Archbishop of Lagos calls for clarification
AFRICA/NIGERIA -s (Agenzia Fides)
"Recently there have been reports and videos documenting that members of the Nigerian police, in particular SARS operatives, have been...
Mission Sunday 2020 – Continue the Mission of Jesus
Pope Francis, in his Message for the World Mission Sunday 2020, echoes the teaching of Vatican II when he says that the essential calling...
Fr Pierluigi Maccalli SMA released after 753 days
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer…” with these words from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans the members...
“Fratelli tutti,” the dreams of solidarity from a pope concerned about the world
By Loup Besmond de Senneville | Vatican City
On the 5th of October, La Croix International published the article below on the new Papal Encyclical signed by Pope...
In a democracy, political leaders must reflect the diversity of the Country
Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - "I think even the most optimistic Nigerian must conceive that we are nowhere near coming to define the real sense...
Public Masses suspended in both SMA parishes in Cork City
Following the government's decision to move the entire country to Coronavirus Level 3 restrictions, the SMA parishes in Blackrock Road and Wilton have suspended...
I have never been as unsure of Nigeria’s future as I am now
After Independence, in order to build a great nation, each country went to work. But in Nigeria, after Independence, our people went to pray...
Choose Life – Day for Life 2020
Day for Life is the day dedicated by the Catholic Church to raise awareness on the meaning and value of human life at every...
Covid-19 and the SMA Little Flower Novena
“Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant count as nothing…
When one loves, one does not calculate.”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Patroness of the Missions
The SMA...
The beauty of Dromantine in pictures
The SMA is blessed with a wonderful Retreat & Conference Centre where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea. Situated about 5...
2nd anniversary of Fr Maccalli’s abduction
Today, 17 September 2020, we are particularly mindful of our kidnapped SMA brother, Fr Pierluigi Maccalli who was taken from his Mission in...
Label helps shoppers choose environmentally-friendly produced rice
The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) has launched a label which identifies sustainably-produced rice. The label will help shoppers reduce the environmental impact of rice...
Fr James Hickey SMA [RIP]
Fr James Hickey SMA will be laid to rest on Friday, 11 September 2020, alongside his parents and other family members in Glasnevin...
FAMILY VOCATIONS COMMUNITY SPONSORS MASS
On Sunday 6th of September a little bit of SMA history was made when over one thousand people in Ireland and further afield tuned-in...
Suggested Practical Actions during the Season of Creation 2020
Pope Francis has declared this year, 24th May 2020 – 24th My 2021, a special Laudato Si’ Anniversary Year.
The season of creation is a...
The Canticle of Creatures (St. Francis)
In this, the Season of Creation, we can reflect on the words of St Francis in the Canticle of Creatures. It is believed that...
Twenty-Eight New SMA Missionaries Ordained to the Priesthood
This year twenty-eight SMA seminarians completed their training and have been Ordained to the Priesthood. In the coming months they will be assigned to...
Season of Creation 2020 Prayer
The Season of Creation 2020 begins, on the 1st of September. Let us join with Christians all around the world in praying for a...
SMA Wilton parish celebrates the Season of Creation
St Joseph's SMA Parish, Wilton, Cork marked the beginning of the 2020 Season of Creation with a special Service on Tuesday, 1 September, at...
The Season of Creation – a time for Prayer and Action
The season starts 1 September, the Day of Prayer for Creation, and ends 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron...
European Church leaders’ statement on Season of Creation
An article from the Independent Catholic News reports that: the presidents of CEC, the Conference of European Churches, (CEC) and the Council of European...
Dark Clouds of Violence over Our Land
A Statement from the
Catholic Bishops of Kaduna Ecclesiastical Province, Nigeria,
on the incessant killings in the Province
The dark clouds of violence have enveloped our...
There is still a lot of fear, but finally our churches have reopened
Fr Matteo Revelli, a member of the Italian Province of the SMA, has worked for more than 20 years in Morocco, a predominantly Muslim...
Pope, Maronite patriarch plead for help in Lebanon
A La Croix International article published on August 5th reports that Pope Francis has called for prayers and for the international community to help...
40 million victims of people trafficking
World Day against Human Trafficking – 30 July
On the occasion of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons – 30 July – the Secretary...
Angola: the post-Covid recovery, still a fragile path
In a report sent to FIDES, the News Agency of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Fr Renzo Adorni SMA, wrote that...
From Mwanza to Montreal – Video Messages from an OLA and an SMA
This week we publish two new videos, the last in our series of messages for Covid-19 times. One comes from an OLA Sister working...
Fr John Quinlan SMA – Obituary
Fr John Quinlan passed to his eternal reward on 16 July 2020, at the St Theresa’s Nursing Unit, African Missions, Blackrock Road, Cork. He...
Church activities slowly resuming in Liberia
"In Liberia we are in the middle of the rainy season and our people are engaged in rural work. During this period, malaria makes...
Fr John Quinlan SMA [RIP] – Funeral homily
Fr John Quinlan passed to his eternal reward on 16 July, 2020, at the St Theresa’s Nursing Unit, African Missions, Blackrock Road, Cork. He...
WEBINAR: Laudato Si and Community Activism Against Environmental Destruction.
The OLA / SMA Justice Committee is hosting a webinar on 28th July and we invite you all to join us.
Date: Tuesday 28th July...
SMA Provincial Leader commends the work of SHALOM
“Shalom’s contextually driven, rigorous but adaptable and forward-looking methodology represents a model approach towards peace-building in highly complex situations, such as those that pertain...
Irish Minister highlights work of SMA Shalom initiative at Council of the EU
On 19 May 2017 Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Joe McHugh TD, spoke at the Council of the...
Pope Francis: “the people of God are scandalized” by events in Ahiara, Nigeria
It's a truly difficult dilemma for Pope Francis. And, true to form, he's taken a tough decision by offering an ultimatum: accept or resign!
The...
Two young women, having escaped Boko Haram, tell their harrowing story
We have heard much in recent years about the ruthless insurgency of Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria and within the borders of neighbouring countries. The world...
Plenary Council 2017 – Nairobi, Kenya – Opening Address
The SMA Plenary Council is an annual meeting to evaluate the ongoing mission of the Society and plan for the future. It gathers together...
Cooking Clean – Saving Lives
We tend to take our modern gas and electric stoves and ovens for granted, but in many countries, homes have only kerosene or solid fuel...
Caring About A Small Blue Planet – SMA Parish, Wilton, Cork
We are the earth, through the plants and animals that nourish us.
We are the rains and the oceans that flow through our veins....
SMA present in Egypt since 1877
The SMA has been present in Egypt since 1877 and at Choubra, in the suburbs of Cairo, where they originally opened a seminary, since...
The origin of the SMA in Egypt
In 1877, just over twenty years after the foundation of the Society, the SMA Co-founder - Fr Augustin Planque - was in Rome listening...
Egypt… a ray of hope
The presence of SMA missionaries in Egypt goes back to the earliest years of our Society. Eighteen years after the foundation of the Society...
Italian SMA witnesses to events in Cairo
Italian SMA witnesses to events in Cairo Fr Renzo Mandirola SMA is a former Provincial of the SMA Italian Province. He also served on the...