The Society of African Missions (SMA) Ghana Province has opened its Second Provincial Assembly since its creation six years ago.
The Provincial Superior, Very Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Paul Saa-Dade Ennin, SMA, reflected on the Province’s journey, describing it as one marked by trials, resilience, and blessings.
Fr. Ennin acknowledged the challenges of leadership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rejoiced in how “obstacles became stepping stones and tests turned into testimonies.”
The Assembly, which brought together 17 delegates and invitees, to the official opening ceremony of the ten-day Assembly took place on Tuesday, 9th September 2025, at the SMA Provincial House in Accra, is providing a moment to review progress, examine shortcomings, and reposition the Province for greater fruitfulness under the theme: “Missionaries of Hope, Called to proclaim the Gospel to the most abandoned in Africa, with Africa and from Africa.”
Fr. Ennin paid tribute to the Friends of SMA, lay missionaries, and collaborators whose sacrifices and support have sustained the Province’s mission.
Looking to the future, he encouraged members to draw inspiration from the Society’s founder, Bishop Melchior de Marion Brésillac: “We are the willingness to continue God’s work today; let our willingness be weakened nor our resolve dimmed.”
In an exclusive interview with DEPSOCOM Accra, Fr. Ennin explained the methodology guiding the Assembly, drawing from the journey of the disciples in Luke 24: “We have chosen the journey of the disciples from encountering challenges and disappointments over the past six years, to a process of discernment, and finally to missioning.”
The Society of African Missions (SMA) was founded in 1856 in Lyon, France, by Bishop Melchior de Marion Brésillac, with a mission to proclaim the Gospel to the most abandoned, particularly in Africa and among people of African descent.
Today, the SMA is an international missionary family of priests and brothers, supported by lay missionaries and the Friends of SMA.
Its members come from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas, serving across the globe in evangelization, education, healthcare, interreligious dialogue, social justice, and care for creation.
The SMA shares deep missionary roots with the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA), founded in 1876 by Fr. Augustin Planque, the first SMA Superior General.
Together, they will celebrate a Triple Jubilee in 2026: 170 years of SMA, 150 years of OLA, and the 200th birth anniversary of Fr. Planque.
In Ghana, SMA missionaries have played a crucial role in the growth of the Catholic Church since their arrival in the late 19th century.
As the first missionaries to come to Ghana, they established schools, hospitals, parishes, and mission stations, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
In 2019, the Ghana Province of the SMA was officially created, making it one of the younger provinces of the Society.
Today, the SMA Ghana Province remains committed to evangelization, the formation of new missionaries, collaboration with lay partners, and championing an African-led mission.
As Fr. Ennin emphasized, the call is to ensure that “in Africa, with Africa and from Africa” is not just a slogan but a lived reality in evangelization and service to humanity.
By Theresa Kpordzo
