In reflection and thanksgiving

I pen these few lines just after the 5th Sunday of the Church’s Year and towards the middle of February. In Sunday’s readings we had a story from the Book of Job. He had lost everything, family, possessions, and future prospects. Job will speak to many today. While some may have escaped the worst of COVID19, many of us will be grieving. Most of us will know family members, friends and neighbours who have lost loved ones, as well as business and livelihood and future prospects. We can speak of the patience of Job but there is more to Job than that. Job cries out to God in lament. It is a cry in agony, the hearts cry in pain and sorrow, the cry of the one who cannot cope. Job’s cry is a prayer in time of great trial and crisis.  This is a lament, a healthy lament acknowledging our limitations and our pain, this is true prayer.

At this time last year, coronavirus was a far-off problem. We were aware that a virus was existing in China, but that was far away. It was probably hard for us to appreciate back then that this virus would go on to disrupt the world as we knew it – plunging countries across the globe into national lockdowns, closing international borders, cancelling, and postponing global events and claiming millions of lives. We pray for those who have died and those who are left to mourn them. We pray also that the vaccine may begin to address the problem. 

Through these challenging times, we in the SMA here in the UK have had to limit or cancel many of our activities. Opportunities to meet our friends, supporters, and benefactors, like Founders Day in Dunblane in October were cancelled as was our annual draw that was to be held in St Joseph’s, Longsight, Manchester. It had to take place in the safer confines of our house at 378 Upper Brook Street, Manchester. Cancelled also were our mission appeals in the Archdiocese of Westminster. In 2021 we were expecting to be in the Archdiocese of Liverpool and Cardiff. That now looks very unlikely. We are missing the opportunities to physically meet but we thank God we are in touch with you through our newsletter Mission News. For the support you give us I wish to say a big “THANK YOU”. Your kindness and generosity enable us to continue our ministry and mission and we are very appreciative. I assure you that you are remembered daily in our masses and prayers. 

Within the SMA, despite the challenges of pandemic, we had our good moments too. News coming from:

Niger

The day after his release, Fr Gigi Maccalli arrives at SMA House, Rome.

The release ofFr Gigi Maccalli after 753 days of being held hostage in Niger came as wonderful news to us. His reflections on what sustained him during his captivity were moving and his forgiving attitude inspiring. Our Superior General, Fr Antonio spoke of“The missionary being a person of the Word, of the announcement. But without a Bible, without the Word of God and the Eucharist, Fr. Gigi had learned to listen to silence. The silence of the great Sahara Desert, the inner silence. Like the prophet Isaiah, he could feel the presence of God in silence, in solitude. He found that God always gave him strength “.

Ghana

Father Paul Saa-Dade Ennin, SMA

The “St. Martin Deaf ministry” is a new missionary initiative promoted by the Society of African Missions (SMA) in the archdiocese of Accra, Ghana. Reaching out to those with hearing challenges, the initiative was presented on the 140th anniversary of the arrival of the first SMA missionaries in Ghana in the parish of St. Francis of Assisi in the Ashalay Botwe neighbourhood of Accra.

With this apostolate the SMA wishes to respond to the call of an outgoing Church proposed by Pope Francis. We see ourselves as a community of faith that searches for people on the fringes and on the periphery of society and the Church.

Ivory Coast

SMA members in Ivory Coast

The priests and brothers of the Society of African Missions (SMA) were the first Catholic missionaries to successfully evangelize Côte d’Ivoire, beginning in 1895 when they first arrived in the West African country.  They gathered for Mass at Our Lady of the Apostles Parish in Abobodoumé on December 6 to give thanks on the 125th anniversary of their arrival in Ivory Coast.  

In the homily of the Thanksgiving Mass, the SMA were compared to the mustard seed that Jesus used to explain the Kingdom of Heaven. “Your mission started from a small seed that you sowed, and has become a tree so big that everyone can find a place of reference and refuge.”

Ordinations

Ordination Card

In 2020 twenty-eight SMA seminarians completed their training and have been Ordained to the Priesthood.   They have now been assigned to Missions in various parts of Africa, joining other SMA’s in answering the call to “Go out and preach the Good News”.  Throughout their formation in SMA Seminaries in Africa, India, the Philippines, and Poland all of these missionaries were supported by you, our benefactors. Through your financial contributions, you made the upkeep, education and training of these Missionaries possible.  This is a tremendous achievement and a great contribution to the Mission of the SMA and the Church.  The Society of African Missions is grateful for this on-going and consistent support.