Below is and edited version of an article written by By Fr Dominic Wabwireh of the SMA Media Centre – Rome
On the third day of the second week of the 22nd General Assembly of the Society of African Missions (SMA), held at the Centro di Spiritualità Sacro Cuore in Rocca di Papa, Italy, Rev. Fr. François Marie Hervé du Penhoat was elected as the new Superior General of the congregation. Until his election, Fr. du Penhoat served as the Provincial Superior of the Province of Lyon.
A priest of deep missionary conviction and broad experience, Fr. du Penhoat was ordained on September 21, 1985. Before joining the SMA, he worked as an agricultural technician in the Diocese of Lokossa, Republic of Benin, from 1976 to 1978. His formation within the SMA began in the then District of Spain, with seminary studies in Madrid and at the Missionary Institute of London (MIL). He later earned a master’s degree in spirituality in Spain and completed formator training in France.
Fr. Du Penhoat’s missionary journey reflects a commitment to the grassroots of the Church’s evangelizing mission. He served in alternating roles between the then District of Spain and the Bariba region of Benin, blending pastoral sensitivity with leadership responsibilities. In 2008, he joined the Lyon Province and was elected in the council in 2013, and Provincial Superior in 2016, and 2019.
As he steps into this leadership position, Fr. Du Penhoat is expected to guide the Society with a vision rooted in its charism and responsive to contemporary challenges in missionary work.
After the election and while presiding over the evening Eucharist, Fr. Du Penhoat delivered a deeply moving homily outlining his spiritual vision for the SMA. He reflected on the certainty Christians hold—not about knowing the future, but about where their life ends: in God. “Let our lives be filled with confidence and hope,” he said, recalling the foundational courage of Bishop de Brésillac, founder of the SMA, who embarked on his African mission knowing he might die, but trusting that if the work was of God, it would survive.
Fr. Du Penhoat emphasized that this legacy of trust in God and in one another must continue. “Now it’s our turn to be that human will so that the work may continue.” He also shared two personal images that sustain his spiritual life: “Jesus and I, yoked like two horses pulling a carriage—He pulls more than I do, making the burden light. And the Holy Spirit as car headlights guiding me through the night, revealing each step as I move forward.” He concluded with a powerful prayer of humility and service—entrusting himself and future elected leaders to the grace of the Holy Spirit, praying for courage, compassion, transparency, and the strength to build fraternity through collaboration.
The focus of the General Assembly now turns to choosing members of the General Council, who with the Superior General, will lead and guide the SMA for the next six years.
When expressing his hope regarding the outcome of the General Assembly Fr. Du Penhoat said:
“May a powerful breath arise from this Assembly, one that deeply renews our congregation, and breathes new life into each of our confreres and seminarians, so we may all recommit with more heart and strength.”
