The Ghana Regional Council of the Society of African Missions (SMA), has hosted the Plenary Council Meeting of the congregation at its Regional House at Oshuiman, Amamoley Estate in Accra from May 30 to June 11, 2016.
The meeting is the second to be held in Africa since the establishment of the Congregation in 1856. The first was hosted by Kenya in 1980.
It was attended by 27 participants made up of SMA Superiors from over 15 countries from the four Continents of the world including Britain, USA, Ireland, Poland, Canada, Spain, Philippines, Holland and India.
At the two-week meeting were the SMA General Council in Rome made up of the Superior General, Vicar General, General Bursar and two General Secretaries; all the Provincial and District Superiors in countries where the SMA work.
Africa was represented by the Superiors of the three Districts in Formation in Africa- Gulf of Guinea in Formation made up of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Togo.
The Bight of Benin District in Formation is made up of Benin, Central African Republic, Nigeria while the Great Lake District in Formation is made up of Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia.
One Regional Superior each was also selected to represent each of the three African Districts since the field of SMA work was mainly in Africa while invitations were extended to two lay Missionaries, one from Africa and one from Europe.
The Meeting was opened with a Pontifical Mass by Most Rev. Jean Marie Speich, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, who urged the Superiors to live the ideals of their founder and always strive to see the newness of God in their missionary work.
The Mass was concelebrated by all the participants including Very Rev. Fr. Fachtna O’driscoll, SMA, Superior General and Rev. Fr. James Owusu-Yeboah, SMA Regional Superior, Ghana.
The Nuncio entreated the Superiors to be true Missionaries as God wanted it, asking them to reflect on if what they do as Missionaries was what the Lord was asking them to do.
He urged them to reconcile themselves with Christ who is the cornerstone and to lead an authentic and true lifestyles in conformity with the Good News Jesus gave to mankind.
Archbishop Speich encouraged the participants that as they strive to follow the tenets of their Society, they should not forget their first task which is evangelization.
He admonished them to seek for a new relationship with Jesus Christ and their Congregation, thanking the SMA for inviting him as the representative of the Holy father Pope Francis to share the Word with them.
He reminded them that the incensing of the altar of the sacrificial lamb also signified the nobility in the true faith we professed, praying that their meeting would further increase their faith in God as Missionaries.
As part of the Meeting, the General Council on June 3, conferred an honorary membership of the SMA on Most Rev. Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Archbishop Emeritus of Kumasi and concluded with the Priestly ordination of three SMA candidates at the Queen of Peace Parish, Madina, Accra on Saturday, June 11.
The SMA Missionaries started the Church in Ghana in the face of challenges and diseases and also introduced the Devotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus into the country.
The Society was founded on December 8, 1856 in Lyon, France by Bishop Melchior de Marion Brésillac with the blessing of Pope Pius IX. The initials refer to the name in Latin: Societas Missionum ad Afros.
Its members come from around the world with a commitment to serve the people of Africa and those of African descent.
The international administrative headquarters is in Rome.
As of 2011, the SMA had six Provinces- Britain, Ireland, Italy, Lyon, the Netherlands and the USA; three Districts- Canada, Spain and Strasbourg; and six Districts in Formation- Bight of Benin, Great Lakes, Gulf of Guinea; India; Philippines and Poland.
