Rediscovering the Heart of Mission

The question often asked is whether the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) and the Society of African Missions (SMA) should collaborate. During this significant session of the Triple Jubilee celebrations on 2 June 2026, both Superior Generals proposed a different perspective. Rather than debating collaboration, they invited participants to reflect on the nature of mission itself. Their message was clear: if mission is properly understood, collaboration is not an optional strategy but an intrinsic dimension of missionary life.

In her presentation, The Call to Collaboration as a Call to Mission, Sr. Mary T. Barron, Congregational leader  of the OLA Sisters, grounded collaboration in the theology of the ‘Missio Dei‘. Mission begins with God and is God’s initiative before it is ours. Because God is Trinity—a communion of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—mission is fundamentally relational.

Sr. Mary emphasized that collaboration is not merely a practical arrangement but a visible expression of Gospel values. Drawing on contemporary missionary theology and Pope Francis’ vision of synodality, she described collaboration as a way of being Church: listening, discerning, and walking together. She encouraged moving beyond simple complementarity toward reciprocity, recognizing that OLA and SMA share the same missionary inspiration while expressing it through distinct histories, vocations, and ministries.

She identified several attitudes necessary for authentic collaboration: co-responsibility in mission, mutual listening, intercultural competence, the sharing of leadership and authority, and the development of a common missionary narrative. Without a shared understanding of mission, she noted, “collaboration remains superficial”.

Fr. François du Penhoat, Superior General of SMA, approached the theme from a historical perspective in his presentation, Moving Forward Together: OLA and SMA at the Service of the Kingdom. He demonstrated that collaboration between the two congregations is not a recent development but part of the original missionary vision.

Long before the two institutes were fully established, Bishop Melchior de Brésillac envisaged a common missionary effort involving both men and women. Fr Augustine Planque later developed this vision, convinced that evangelization, education, healthcare, and the building of Christian communities in Africa required the active participation of women religious alongside SMA missionaries.

Collaboration, therefore, was not an adaptation to changing times but a foundational element of the missionary project from its inception.

Fr François also acknowledged the difficulties that have marked relations between the two congregations over the years. At times, misunderstandings concerning autonomy, finances, decision-making, and mutual expectations weakened collaboration. Prejudices and unequal partnerships occasionally obscured the founders’ vision.

Recognizing these challenges is important, not to dwell on failures, but to learn from them. Such difficulties do not invalidate the call to collaboration; rather, they reveal areas where conversion and growth remain necessary.

The presentation highlighted concrete examples where OLA and SMA have worked together fruitfully. Experiences in northern Benin and in the parish of Vaulx-en-Velin, France, demonstrated how shared mission can strengthen relationships and deepen mutual trust.

In these contexts, collaboration extended beyond practical cooperation. It fostered a sense of belonging, shared responsibility, and common witness. Sisters and missionaries did not simply work alongside one another; they grew together in service of the Gospel.

Fr François described this process as a form of mutual conversion, where each congregation learns from the other and discovers new ways of living its missionary vocation.

Following the presentations, participants engaged in a Conversation in the Spirit, a method of communal discernment inspired by the recent synodal journey of the Church. Rather than debating ideas, participants listened attentively to one another and reflected on what the Holy Spirit might be revealing through the experiences and insights shared.

The process itself embodied the very principles discussed throughout the session: listening, respect, participation, and openness to transformation.

The session did not produce a new programme or strategic plan. Instead, it offered a renewed understanding of the relationship between OLA and SMA. Theology, history, and lived experience all point in the same direction: collaboration belongs to the very nature of their missionary calling.

The challenge now is not to decide whether to collaborate but to deepen the attitudes, structures, and relationships that make authentic collaboration possible. This requires continual conversion, respect for each congregation’s identity and autonomy, and a commitment to discern mission together.

As the participants reflected on their shared journey, one conviction emerged strongly: collaboration is not simply an activity undertaken by OLA and SMA. It is a way of living their common missionary heritage and responding together to the needs of the Church and the world.