My First Missionary Experience as an SMA Priest

Over the last month three articles, written by SMA Seminarians at various stages in their training, were published. This time, in the last of the series, we hear from someone who was Ordained a year ago and who has since taken up his first  appointment as an SMA Missionary Priest in Sierra Leone.  Like those in the previous three articles, he too was supported though his training by donations made by members of the SMA’s Family Vocations Community (FVC), indeed at the end of this article his gratitude is expressed to all the FVC members for their part in helping  him to be come a missionary. 

I am Alexander Abah, a priest of the Society of African Missions (SMA). I had my philosophical studies in Saints Peter and Paul major seminary, Bodija, Ibadan, Nigeria. After my spiritual year experience in Calavi, Republic of Benin, I was assigned to the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, where I had my pastoral year experience among the Senoufos in the northern part of the country. I proceeded to the House of Formation in Ebimpe, where I had my theological studies in the Institute of Catholic Missionary Formation in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.  Subsequently, I was ordained a Catholic priest on 13^th July, 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria.  

As a newly ordained priest, my journey has been a mixture of urgency, learning and joyful experiences. Let me share some reflections from my place of mission in a rural area. On the 22 of September 2023 I began my missionary experience in Sierra Leone, my place of assignment. This is my first mission as a priest in a foreign and unfamiliar terrain. I am appointed to serve as the assistant priest in St John’s Mission, Buedu, a mission that has 16 outstations and 25 villages where Catholics are present. Buedu is located in the Eastern part of Sierra Leone, bordering Liberia and Guinee Conakry. 

The mission in Buedu has an element of urgency in the sense of the spiritual needs of the community. Meeting these needs is a task that Fr Francis Patrickson SMA [India] my Parish Priest and I try to attend to diligently as the area has many Muslims and Pentecostal churches. 

Being a primary evangelisation mission, and building on the efforts of our predecessors, we try to contribute to the growth of the faith among the people by offering the daily Mass, teaching catechism, visiting families, organising regular mission animation programs, youth animation, home visitations, pastoral care for the sick and the dying and regular outstation visitations. In spite of the fact that the roads leading to the outstations are 

unpaved and very difficult to drive on, we extend our pastoral care to our people there and respond to their urgent spiritual needs. 

Judging from my little experience so far working in a rural mission, I can say that such missions have their unique relevance. People come seeking solace, meaning, and connection. They want their priests to address real issues – injustice, economic struggles, family problems, health challenges, and environmental concerns. As a priest, I have learned to humbly listen, recognizing that my role extends beyond the pulpit. It’s about being present, understanding local struggles, and offering hope.

Despite the difficulties, I have immense joy especially in the simplicity of rural life. I appreciate the genuine connections with the people, their happiness at seeing their priest happy and fulfilled.  Their delicious cultural foods and the genuine smiles and joy you ignite in them when you pronounce words in their language, create a profound sense of joy in me. The Kissis are a very welcoming and loving people. And I am happy to have started my missionary experience here. I would also like to acknowledge the effort of my parish priest, Fr. Francis Patrikson, who welcomed me and provided me with a good climate for my experiences. 

From my little experience as a missionary priest, I can already see that missionary work demands immense resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment. It’s a calling that requires both heart and courage. To conclude, I extend my unreserved appreciation to all those who have contributed to my formation, especially the SMA Family Vocation Community of the Irish Province, for contributing to my vocation to becoming a priest of the SMA. God bless and reward you all, and grant you eternal life. Amen.

Fr. Alexander Abah, SMA.

If you would like to join in supporting the training and education of SMA Missionaries please contact the FVC Office nearest to you.