Society of African Missions

About

Is the Headquarters of the Irish Province. There is a second residence and parish in Wilton, Cork.

The various buildings of the Blackrock Road property are:

Feltrim – the residence and offices of the Provincial Leader and his Council. Fr Malachy Flanagan is assisted by Frs Eamonn Finnegan and Anthony Kelly. Their mandate last until July 2025.

SMA House – the principal SMA residence in Ireland has three wings:

1) St Joseph’s, built in 1880) and
2) St Patrick’s, built in 1930.
Together these contain 48 bedrooms, an Oratory, Library, Offices, Dining and sitting rooms. St Patrick’s also houses the Provincial Archives.

1. St Theresa’s, a purpose built Nursing Unit was constructed in 1997. Here, nursing and care staff look after those in need of fulltime medical care as well as those home from Africa in need of nursing care following surgery etc.

In addition, Blackrock Road has an administrative building which contains:

• The Main Office – responsible for Mission Association cards, the different Novenas of Prayer (in honour of Our Lady (May), St Therese (September-October), November Holy Souls and coordinating the collection of Mission Boxes.
• The Communications Office is responsible for the operation of the SMA website and Social Media platforms.
• The Family Vocations Community Office (FVC) – looks after the fund raising to support our seminarians throughout the world.
• The Publications Office which oversees the production of the African Missionary Newsletter (twice a year) and the SMA Calendar.
• St Joseph’s SMA Parish Church, built in 1881 was originally the SMA community chapel. Following a request from the Bishop of Cork & Ross the Society accepted pastoral responsibility for the local area, with the church to serve as the parish church. The parish was erected on 6th September 1988.

Activities

• Fundraising and Promotion (mass cards, printed promotions, collection boxes)
  Family Vocations Community (FVC): Which aims to gather money to pay for the education of our 400+ seminarians from Africa, India, Philippines and Poland.
• Administration (finance, legal, compliance)
• Mission Animation (sharing the word of God)
• SMA residence for priests and retired priests

Contacts

Community Leader: Fr Paddy O’Rourke SMA, Vice Leader: Fr Alphonse Sekongo.
Assisted by Fr John Bowe and Fr Christopher Emokhare

History

The SMA purchased Wilton in 1888 from Mr James O’Connor.  The property then was made up of a dilapidated “country residence” and 72 acres of farmland.  Fr Joseph Zimmermann SMA, then Superior of SMA in Ireland paid £1,000 for the house and lands to use as an “Apostolic school”.  An apostolic school was a secondary school intended to give the necessary academic education to boys wanting to go on for the priesthood or religious life.

In 1897 St Joseph’s Church was built and opened, replacing a temporary chapel nearby that until then was used by the students.  Adjacent to the Church is the SMA Community Cemetery in which most SMA members who die or have died in Ireland are buried.  In 1982 St Joseph’s Church was erected into a parish of the Diocese of Cork & Ross.

The Apostolic school continued for nearly 70 years. Subsequently the house became a residence for SMA priests and students attending University College, Cork. When SMA House, Maynooth was opened in 1970, the house was used for SMA aspirants for their Spiritual Year Programme.

Activities

• Fundraising and Promotion (mass cards, digital marketing, videography, community events)
• Mission Animation (sharing the word of God)
• SMA residence for priests and retired priests

Contacts
Community Leader: Fr Noel O’Leary SMA
Vice Leader: Fr Colum O’Shea SMA

History

In 1994 a new SMA House  was completed in Claregalway. It was extensively renovated in 2017 / 2018 and officially reopened in December 2019. Today it is the SMA centre for Promotion and Mission animation in this part of the country, which has given so many priests and brothers to the service of ‘the African missions’, both in the SMA and other missionary societies. It also serves as a retirement house for some of our priests. There are 11 SMA priests in residence.

Read more of the history of our SMA presence in the west of Ireland here.

Activities

• Fundraising and promotion (mass cards, collection boxes and community groups)
• Family Vocations Community (FVC): Which aims to gather money to pay for the education of our 400+ seminarians from Africa, India, Philippines and Poland.
• Mission Animation (sharing the word of God)
• SMA residence for priests and retired priests

Please phone 091-798 880 for Mass Cards, about supporting the education of a missionary priest, having a Mission Box in your home / shop etc.

Community Leader: Fr Billy Sheridan SMA
Bursar: Fr Colman Nilan SMA
FVC Coordinator: Fr Frank McGrath SMA
SMA Donation boxes: Fr James Clesham SMA

The SMA presence in Ranelagh began in 1999 following the closure of our SMA Houses on Wellington Road and in Maynooth, Co Kildare.

During 2014 / 2015 the Ranelagh property was extended and renovated. It is an excellent location within walking distance of the city centre and is widely used by SMA’s attending meetings in Dublin or for short visits to the city. It is also used by our priests travelling to / from Africa.

Activities

• Fundraising and Promotion (mass cards, collection boxes)
• Family Vocations Community (FVC): A community group which gathers money to pay for the education of our 400+ seminarians from Africa, India, Philippines and Poland.
• Mission Animation (sharing the word of God)
• Outreach and pastoral services
• SMA residence for priests

Contacts

Community Leader: Fr Joe Egan SMA
Vice Leader: Fr Tom Curran SMA
Order mass cards: Kay Skelly and Helen Doyle on 01 4968162
FVC Coordinator: Fr Paul Monaghan
Donation boxes: Pat Curran and Gene Henry

History

The history of Dromantine estate dates back to the middle ages. The ancient Irish clan of Magennis dominated most of South County Down from the 14th – 17th century and owned vast tracts of land in that area, including what is now Dromantine Estate. Following the political upheavals of the early 17th c. one of the Magennis clansmen, Murtagh, became the owner of an estate of 4200 acres within the precinct of Clanagan.

In 1741 the Manor of Clanagan passed from Magennis ownership to that of a Scottish Family called Innes. In 1806 Arthur Innes built the original part of the existing house in Neo-classical style. When he died in 1820 he left a magnificent house within a beautifully landscaped demesne complete with a newly formed lake. His grandson, Arthur Charles Innes, became the owner of the property and in the 1860s extended the original house (now called Dromantine House) making it even more stately and imposing.

In the early 20th c. the fortunes of the Innes family waned and they decided to dispose of Dromantine.

At the same time the Society of African Missions (SMA) which was based in Cork was looking for a suitable property in which to prepare their students for missionary work in Africa. Under the guidance of Fr. Maurice Slattery the SMA bought Dromantine House and the 320 acre estate in 1926. It was their seminary until 1972 and during these years about 600 young men were ordained priests and went from Dromantine as missionaries to Africa.

Several extensions were added to accommodate the growing number of students. Paying special attention to a harmonious blend with the original architecture, work on St. Patrick’s wing on the east side commenced in November 1931. St. Brendan’s wing on the west side was built in 1935 and a new Chapel, which was added to the end of this wing, was consecrated by Bishop Mulhern on 18th May 1937. St. Colman’s wing with 62 study-bedrooms for students and a new assembly / lecture hall were opened in 1959.

In 1996 the SMA decided to carry out major renovations and refurbishments in order to update the buildings and make them suitable for a modern Retreat and Conference Centre. When these were completed, a 21st century, comfortable and well equipped Retreat and Conference Centre was reopened in 2001.

In 2004 the original 19th century courtyard building was sensitively and completely renovated to provide additional conference rooms and facilities. The recently built “African Link” connects the main conference centre with the new facilities in the courtyard. It contains a display of beautiful African carvings and art which celebrate the skills of African artists from areas where the SMA work – highlighting the strong historical and present day links between Dromantine and Africa.

Activities

• Conference Centre for events and retreats.
• Annual summer camp
• Fundraising and promotion (mass cards, group to fund new priests)
• Family Vocations Community (FVC): Which aims to gather money to pay for the education of our 400+ seminarians from Africa, India, Philippines and Poland
• Mission Animation (sharing the word of God)
• SMA residence for priests and retired priests

Contacts

Leader & Conference Centre Director: Fr Damian Bresnahan
Retreat Resource Person: Fr Desmond Corrigan
On-going Formation: Fr Hugh Lagan
Fr Dan McCauley: FVC Director