Last December the Divine Mercy Parish, Ndola, Zambia was the venue for a celebration marking the 50th Anniversary of the  arrival of Irish SMA’s in Zambia, at the invitation of Bishop Nicholas Adnozzi, an Italian Franciscan. He requested four priests for parish work and four for teaching in government schools. His plan was that the SMA group would be sustained by the salaries earned by those teaching in schools.
Initially a group of seven SMA’s went to Zambia and they and their successors laid the groundwork for what today, has grown into the the Zambian District of the SMA, with 22 Zambian priests and 15 seminarians. SMA’s now serve in Kabwe, Lusaka, Ndola and Solowezi Dioceses.  Fr Ignatius Malwa, the District Superior, described the 50th anniversary as an opportunity to build upon the foundations laid by the pioneering missionaries whose work has borne much fruit.Â
To mark this historic occasion the SMA Media Centre team in Ndola, led by Fr Tom Casey SMA has produced the documentary video. It describes the work and achievements of the SMA in Zambia and includes interviews with some of those who started the SMA’s mission in Zambia fifty years ago and also with some of those who continue this mission today – the video is 45 minutes long – we hope you enjoy it.Â