I would like to thank the Provincial superior, Rev. Sr. Perpetua Acquah and the
Provincial leadership for the privilege to be part of this 140th. Anniversary Symposium. I also want to wish the OLA Sisters a happy anniversary. 140 years of unbroken service to Ghana is no mean achievement. May the grace that has brought you this far lead you to even greater works and achievements.
Around the year 2010, Sr Martha Paternazzo, an Italian OLA wrote an article “You are this willingness’’ fruit of some years of research into the charism of the OLA and she came out with this slogan; ONE CHARISM ONE MISSION – meaning that the SMA and the OLA share in one charism and has one and the same mission entrusted to them. Her article is in essence what triggered the new interest into OLA – SMA collaboration in recent years and now collaboration everywhere and at every SMA OR OLA gatherings and meetings. The presentation will be done in 3 parts; a historical overview with Ghana in focus, present state of collaboration, and towards the new era of partnership.
- Historical overview
Before Venerable Bishop de Marion Bresillac, founder of the SMA left France for Freetown, Sierra Leone, the new vicariate that had been created and entrusted to the SMA, he had been alerted by Fr. Reymond, leader of the first SMA team to Freetown that there was need for Sisters; “the people are demanding for them”. Freetown was part of a large territory entrusted to the Holy Ghost missionaries who were then based in Dakar, Senegal. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny were working alongside them in Senegal, Guinea and Sierre Leone. While in Freetown, the founder wrote to Planque about the need for Sisters, especially to train the African girls he intended to bring to Spain to the maison des noirs. However, there is no evidence suggesting that De marion Bresillac himself did any plans to recruit Sisters before his untimely death six weeks of arriving in Freetown.
We must mention nonetheless, that the first group of Sisters that Planque got, members of the Congregation of the Guardian angel of Montauban were recruited for the house in Cadiz Spain in 1864 not to take care of African girls, but a hostel for Spanish girls opened by Fr. Papertard SMA, one of the first persons recruited by the founder and a close collaborator of Planque. Planque’s vision was that the Sisters would later go on missions in West Africa. The fathers in Ouidah however felt that while they needed Sisters, the time was not ripe yet because the local people would conclude that the Sisters were the wives or concubines of the fathers: “they find it so extraordinary that we have no wives that they don’t believe it. They say we have hidden them in the fort” they wrote to Planque.
However, when Sisters were sent on missions to West Africa it was the congregation of Franciscans Sisters of Couzon. They worked in Ouidah, Porto Novo and Lagos. But the collaboration with the SMA was short lived and from there Planque formed his own congregation in 1876. A few things can be learnt from Planque’s collaboration with the two congregations:
With the Sisters of the Guardian Angel he had wanted a merger of the SMA and the Sisters congregation and a priest-superior appointed for the Sisters; but that possibility was ruled out and then the collaboration ended; with the congregation of the Franciscans, the collaboration went very well on the mission within weeks of their arrival, they had started a clinic and a school, involved in catechism classes and visitation of homes. The Sisters had their own superior who was responsible for their internal affairs and appointments. However, difficulties aroused when a new superior Fr. Cloud took over as mission superior who claimed to be the superior of the community of Sisters with the right to appoint them; a right he said was given to him by Fr. Planque. This led to frustrations and later the collapse of the collaboration. At this point Fr. Planque had decided to form his own congregation who will be obedient to him and his vision of mission on the West African Coast.
Formation of the OLA
The Soeurs des Missions Africaines (Sisters of the African Missions, SMA) was officially formed in 1976, a year after the break with the Franciscan Sisters of Cuozon. Later, Planque adopted the name Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles after the Feast/Patron name of the Congregation (Queen of Apostles). So, the OLA was formed as Sisters of the African missions – that is to participate and be faithful to the vision and mission of the African Missions entrusted to Fr. Augustin Planque by Venerable Bishop de Marion Bresillac.
Experience of Collaboration in Ghana
The OLA Sisters arrived in Elmina in 1883, three years after the arrival of Fathers Moreau and Morat, SMA. The first convent was opened in Elmina in 1883 and St. Mary’s Convent at Cape Coast in 1891. The third Convent to be opened was in Keta on October 4, 1911. According to Van Brakel, there were usually four Sisters in each Convent: one in charge of the infant school, another sister in charge of the girls’ school, while the other two Sisters looked after the boarders, the dispensary, the household, the laundry, and took care of the sacristy. He also mentioned three categories of Sisters: teaching Sisters – usually from English speaking nationalities (Irish); Sisters with a minimum of formal education, for the domestic work, the household and the care of boarders; an intermediate group of Sisters, not trained as teachers and often not from English speaking nationalities, but capable personalities who were in charge of the infant schools, domestic science, dispensary and sometimes of the whole community as Superior (e.g. Sr. Leon, Sr. Basile, Sr. Thais).
In the early years, with Fr. Planque as Superior of the SMA, Superior of the OLA and Superior of the missions, the relationship between the Fathers and the Sisters was good. The Fathers and the Sisters supported each other and celebrated each other – feast days, birthdays, anniversaries and in their work; For example, we read how in 1909 the fathers supported the Sisters in an exhibition event of various crafts practiced by the school children of the colony. All the Cape coast priests and Sisters were present. The fathers were disappointed and in fact angry with the organizers that they did not mention the Rev. Sisters for their good works in education; nevertheless, the mission schools received 52 prizes out of a total of 112. In the same spirit a good number of Sisters were present for the dedication of a new harmonium at the Cape Coast chapel. Also we hear of how the Sisters were active in organizing the special celebration of Bishop Hummel’s feast day: St. Ignatius. “The Elmina Fathers and Sisters sent their best wishes to Bishop Hummel on the occasion of his patron feast St. Ignatius. Sr Basile sent the Bishop’s coat-of-arm upon canvas and Sr. Leon presented a beautiful cushion with embroidered coat-of-arms. The Cape Coast Sisters came early in the morning to wish the Bishop a happy feast and the two schools read addresses and rendered songs. They also gave similar items to Fr. Meder for his feast day”. When the new convent in Keta was opened it was Bishop Hummel who took the Sisters personally to Keta to present them to the community and ensure they were safe and comfortable. In fact when Sr. Basile was celebrating her Silver jubilee it was Bishop Hummel who printed the souvenir cards.
However, there were challenges too. The Father Superior of the mission station was also superior of the Sisters in their apostolate; though the Sisters had their community superior they depended a lot on the Fathers of the mission. From this excerpt from a letter of Fr. Oge, acting delegate superior of the Gold Coast Mission to Sr. Leon, superior of the Sisters in Elmina, when Fr. Martini was appointed the superior of the Elmina mission: “As he is a representative of God, you owe him prompt and sincere obedience, religious submission and profound respect… Knowing that Superiors often have to intervene in the external difficulties of religious communities, I have appointed Fr. Obrecht as your ordinary confessor rather than Fr. Martini, who will be the extraordinary confessor. (1901)
Once Fr. Oge had to complain to Fr. Planque about Sr. Leon whom he accused of wanting to follow her own will (letter 22.4.1901). The Sisters on the other hand accused the Fathers of intervening too often in their work, demanding submission or response in the name of sacred obedience, and Sr. Leon sometimes protested to encroachment on rights which the Sisters considered to be theirs. Bishop Klaus in 1905, wrote to the Father in charge of Elmina: “Several times I have remarked that there are misunderstandings between the Fathers and the Sisters. I am therefore, going to give you a few instructions”. However, the instructions did little to help. The issues were about money, appointments and transfers and who was in-charge: Fr. Oge for instance accused the Rev. Sisters of holding unto the boarding fees which according to him was mission moneys and should be submitted and not kept by the Sisters; about appointments of Sisters made by Sr. Leon without consulting him; he summoned Sister to Cape Coast for consultation. On this occasion Sister did go. On some other instances, Sr. Leon refused to go and forbade any of the Sisters from going.
When Sister Alexandra became Superior General of the OLA she tried to obtain more financial independence of the Sisters of the Vicariate or at least to get some regular income for the Sisters: as a result she gave this directive: the Vicariate should pay to the superior of the Sisters an allowance for the upkeep of each Sister and should also pay for the expenses of the journeys to Europe and their home-leave.
Patrick Gantly would describe the missionary work of the OLA Sisters and their relationship with Planque and the SMA in this way: “These initial difficulties, however, were overcome in time, and while Planque continued to be over-protective of the Congregation he had founded, he did instill a great spirit of self-sacrifice and dedication. Sisters from Moulin-a Vent continued to arrive on the missions in increasing numbers, to open schools and clinics, to give themselves, at times heroically, and to make an invaluable contribution to the progress of the missions – a contribution which remains to be documented”
After Fr. Planque, relationship between the Fathers and the Sisters, especially during the time of Bishop Hauger deterioriated. Bishop Hauger’s report on the OLA Sisters in 1927: “the OLA Sisters whose motherhouse is at Venissieu, have two houses where they educate about 30 girls. Their trend is frankly opposed to the idea which the Founder Augustin Planque wanted to realize, i.e. to be the auxiliaries of the SMA Fathers. The nuns here only think of having self-supporting and paying boarding schools. The other works of the mission, suitable for missionary Sisters, are neglected. The results until now are far below expectation”. Bishop Hauger reacting to an issue that his predecessor, Bishop Hummel, left him in their collaboration with the Sisters.
In 1923, during a visit of the OLA Superior General, Mother Catherine, she had raised a few issues with Bishop Hummel which were left unanswered: This is what she wrote to Bishop Hummel after her visit: “the short notes I gave you and which you refused to accept were only meant to guide us in the issues raised during the conversation… You said that you would not accept them until you had seen your council about them. I am now sending them to you in a more explicit way so that you may know our desiderata… do you claim the right to appoint the class-teachers in our schools? If any of these points would raise objections, we would like you to transmit your observations in writing to us so that we also may refer them to our council. To facilitate the settlement of the questions that separate us, we put before you the terms of an official decision of the SC of Propaganda published in the ‘amis du clergé: ‘As religious the nuns depend only upon their constitutions and their superiors. And, the works of the religious communities depend upon the vicar apostolic for whatever belongs to religious instruction, good morals, the exercise of piety, the administration of the sacraments. But the bishop has no right to interfere in the details of these works. The disposition of their time depends upon the constitutions, directories, customs, and major and local superiors.”
She then listed her desiderata: “In order to put an end to many minor difficulties and to ensure a smoother development of our works, we consider it to be necessary that our material interests be separated from those of the vicariate. And first, the problems about schools must be settled.” Among the things proposed in a contract she sent we read:
- The Sisters will keep all the moneys produced by their personal work: revenues of the boarding schools, schools, workrooms, grants, subsidies, handiworks etc. and consequently they will have to bear the expenditure of these works
- Except for the required permissions from the Ordinary foreseen by canon law the Sisters will be able to develop their works and to enlarge their premises according to their needs and under control of their major superiors to whom the plans for any new construction must be submitted.
- “To facilitate good understanding between the superiors of the missionary priests and Sisters in the stations, it is also agreed that a) the Sisters will continue to take care, free of charge, of the altars, altar linen and the vestments; b) the fathers, in return, will continue to supply to the Sisters, free of charge, their spiritual services and their help as manager of the schools.
The big issues at stake were authority (who oversees appointments) and money. Already in l9ll Bishop Hummel had written to SC propaganda: “Can a superior of the Sisters appoint and transfer them (teaching Sisters) from one place to another arbitrio suo (arbitrarily)? The Cardinal Prefect replied: “In view of the particular circumstances of the mission, it is better that she does so ‘audito ordinario’ (after consulting the ordinary).
So, this was during Bishop Hummel’s time. Unfortunately, Bishop Hummel died shortly afterwards. We found this letter addressed to Bishop Marchetti of SC Propaganda written by Mother Catherine: “During my recent visit to Africa, we came to an agreement with Bishop. Hummel, but the agreement intended to simplify matters, caused owing to lack of cooperation, a tug of war and some obstinacy on our side. Your eminence will be so kind as to promise us to take this matter in his hands, and to negotiate on our behalf with the new vicar apostolic of the gold coast when he will be nominated.
In the Keta vicariate also Bishop Herman was facing similar challenges with the proposals of Mother Catherine and sought advice from Bishop Hauger: “I want to ask your advice on the following matter: Mother Catherine, sup general of the OLA Sisters, wrote to me that the Sc Propaganda fide wishes the position of the Sisters in the missions to be explicitly expressed by a formal contract with the ordinaries. In 1923 and 1925 Fr. Chabert told me not to make any contract but to allow the Sisters of Keta to support themselves with the income of the boarding and to pay, as in the past, only the journeys and holidays in Europe. I have not enough experience to solve this case alone; what advice do you give me?”
As for Bishop Hauger, he did not accept the proposal of Mother Catherine and instead proposed a new contract: among the main points of concern to us are:
3) In all convents a competent sister will be appointed as superior of the community
4) In all eternal works, the Sisters will be subject to the Bishop and the local superior of the mission;
5) the work of the Sisters will be: the Christian education in the girls’ school; the teaching of Christian domestic science, of sewing and of catechism to girls who have not got the occasion to attend school; care of the church, sacristy, church linen, sewing and laundry for the whole station which will supply the necessary articles; the making of altar bread.
6) all donations, grants for the school, income derived from the mission works, boarding included, will go to the vicariate.
Mother Catherine did not agree to Bishop Hauger’s concept proposal. For the Sisters, Bishop Hauger wanted to return to the system prior to l924 and would make the Sisters dependent again on the fathers. The Sisters saw a complete separation as the only solution to the problem.
These disagreements caused further frustrations and strained relationships between the Bishop and invariably the fathers and the Sisters. This strained relation is seen in a letter write in l93l and signed by three Sisters: Srs. Aquiline, Maria and Patricia to their superior general: “as sister Patricia is going home, we take the opportunity to expose our grievances and to ask you respectfully: a) to come to some definite terms with the Bishop or b) to take us out of the gold coast. They gave the following reasons: a) they were a cause of scandal to the people because the Bishop and the priests were working against them: children taught by them failed the catechism tests and were not admitted to the sacraments; b) negative remarks by the Bishop caused disillusionment; c) own community is divided and the younger Sisters do not know whether to trust and to believe their superiors or the bishop; d) there is nobody to ask for advice since all the Fathers, excepted Fr. Kelly, agree with the Bishop and obey him in matters related to the Sisters; e) the Bishop’s behavior and indiscreet remarks towards the Sisters; f) the bishop’s opposition to extension of work and accommodation of the Sisters; Lastly, he has said several times… that Mother Thaïs is the great obstacle to any agreement… we know that but if you remove Mother Thaïs, things will not be any better; they will rather be worse until you yourself come to some agreement with him (Bishop). No sister in the gold coast would be willing to take the place of Mother Thaïs for he would either walk over us completely or ignore us. So we beg you very reverend mother, to consider our case and if no agreement can be reached, to send us to another mission where we can do some good for the people. We much respect, we beg to remain Yours devotedly Sr. Aquiline, sr. Marie, Sr. Patricia.
In the meantime, Bishop Hauger had decided to establish a local congregation – Sisters of the Holy family (Holy family is one of the SMA main feast day). He got five postulants and asked sr. aquiline and later Sr Attracta when the former left on leave to take charge of them and to prepare them to become religious Sisters. Bishop’s intention was to have a local congregation of diocesan Sisters, entirely dependent on the Ordinary and, in this case, independent of the OLA Sisters. However, the OLA Sisters, through sr. Thaïs thwarted this, and did not want a separate Congregation. So, they convinced the bishop and two of the postulants – Helena archer and Mary Quaye were sent to Venissieux to the OLA novitiate in France. They became Sr. Benigna Consolata and sr. Augustina, the first Ghanaian OLA Sisters. Esther Maxwell, one of the five joined the Eucharistic Heart Sisters in Nigeria under the religious name Sr. Mary Michael, because she wanted an indigenous congregation; the other two dropped out and got married.
Finally, the apostolic delegate (Nuncio) for anglophone Africa, Bishop. Hinsley, had to intervene. He sent a circular to all Ordinaries of the SMA missions in West Africa regarding contracts with the OLA Sisters. A model contract was given, and all the Ordinaries were to sign by the beginning of 1932. But bishop Hauger refused to sign what he called this ‘unilateral contract’. The matter went to Rome, to the SC Propaganda fide, who wrote to the SMA Superior General that Bishop Hauger should resign, which he did. Before he resigned, he was forced to sign the contract. On March 20, 1932, Fr. Chabert Sup Gen had written to advise Bishop Hauger to accept the contract with the Sisters as all his confreres in the Episcopate had done and then to send a nice letter to the Cardinal. He also informed him that on March 18 the OLA General Assembly had not reelected Sisters Catherine and Emmanuel as Superior and Councilor, but rather a young Sister, Mother Ludovic, superior of the mission in Zeitoun, Egypt. Fr. Chabert described her as a young highly esteemed and straightforward person, chosen by the delegates to make an end to the scandalous discord. She came to visit me immediately after her election. She is determined to re-establish the former friendly relations between our two Societies”.
And so Bishop Hauger’s resignation was accepted and Bishop William Porter, already Prefect apostolic of Northern Nigeria was appointed Bishop of the Gold coast. By this time the break was already made. SMA Fathers, especially the Bishops’ engaged with the OLA Sisters as they would any other female congregation, except of course on personal and informal levels. There were still some other issues that he had to resolve with the Sisters: the issue of qualified staff to man the OLA Training college. He wrote about this to the OLA Superior General but did not get the answer he wanted. On April 13. 1937 he wrote to the Apostolic delegate: “ I have received no reply from the Mother General of the OLA to my letter of December 27, suggesting the transfer of the Girls’ Training College to the Irish Province of the Congregation. The Girls’ Training College as well as the girls’ schools are at present in a most unsatisfactory condition as far as the staff is concerned and I feel that it is necessary that pressure be brought to bear upon the authorities of the Congregation in Europe to remedy matters. If no reply is forthcoming, may I suggest to meet Your Grace in order to attempt a final settlement”.
Some months later he was to write again: “The question of a qualified staff for the girls’ schools still remained untouched by the authorities of the Congregation of the OLA… I have informed them that I no longer hold myself bound by the agreement made between my predecessor and the Mother General, as long as the present situation continues…” In July1938, Bishop Porter reported the happy news: “ I am pleased to inform you of the arrangement recently arrived at with the Irish Province of the Sisters. The Gold Coast mission has now been given to the Province and qualified staff is to come out as soon as possible”… The new Mother Provincial is a former member of the Gold Coast teaching staff with a B.A, so we may hope for a thorough understanding of the special needs of this mission.” He then hinted on beginning a new congregation of local Sisters: “ This arrangement gives me also hope of being able to begin the Congregation of native Sisters as suggested during your visit last year!”
Another area of friction with the OLA Sisters was the transfer of the Girls’ Secondary and Training College to the Holy Child Sisters whom he had met in England during his holidays. We read in 1945 Bishop Porter’s search for a teaching Congregation both male and female: “The difficulty of providing staff for secondary schools and training colleges gave rise to much discussion, many suggestions and one main conclusion: that the whole problem can only be definitely and satisfactorily solved by obtaining the services of a good teaching Congregation.” In was in this vision of things that he invited the Holy Child Sisters to Cape Coast. “The Sisters of OLA, he wrote, were unable to supply the highly qualified and professionally trained staff the educational authorities demand for secondary schools, and especially for training colleges. This will be undertaken by the Holy Child Sisters. This change has given much disappointment to the OLA Sisters whose province will be the primary schools”. Of course, the Mother Provincial of the OLA, Cork, states that she does not approve of this transfer. The Sisters admit they cannot provide the highly qualified staff required [at this moment] … and she [mother provincial] is now appealing to the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda, as she considers there is no justification for this transfer of the girls’ training college to the new Sisters”. In his annual report to Propaganda Fide Bishop Porter wrote: “Five Holy Child Sisters arrived in February 1946 to take charge of the girls’ secondary school and the training college. A grant of £23.950 was allocated for the construction of the college and £14.300 was voted for completing the college buildings”.
Later the Sisters of St. Louis would be brought both in Kumasi by Bishop Paulissen and later in Cape Coast to take care of what is now Archbishop Porter Girls. Both cases, the OLA had opened a Girls school there. With the coming of the other Female congregations, the formation of the SMMC Sisters in Ho by Bishop Konings, and the appointment of Ghanaian bishops, starting from Archbishop Amissah and Bishop Essuah, whatever was left of the special relationship that the OLA and the SMA enjoyed in the Gold Coast fizzled out. Each one was to man his or her business.
2) A New Era: Present collaboration
The recruitment of Ghanaians into the SMA in the late 1980s and early 1990s began a new era in the relations between the SMA and the OLA, though at the informal level. The main area of interaction ironically was in Nigeria, where some SMA students from Ghana and the OLA novices most probably met for the first time during workshops, celebrations, and training sessions. Through these avenues, acquaintances were made and new channels of communication and interaction were established.
However, it was Sr. Martha’s article “You shall be this willingness” which came up with “One charism One mission” that began a whole new awareness towards a new era of collaboration in the two congregations and in each country where the two work together. The need for a new era of collaboration was taken up in a strong way by the General Chapters of our two Congregations. In 2015, an SMA-OLA Commission for Common Spiritual Patrimony was established; the commission organised a seminar held in Rome in 2016 to discuss our common spiritual and missionary patrimony and launched our own synodal journey – “En Route Towards 2026” when the SMA and OLA together will celebrate a triple event:
- 150 years of the foundation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles;
- 170 years of the foundation of the SMA;
- 200 years of the birth of Fr. Augustine Planque, the man in whose hands Venerable Bishop de Marion Bresillac entrusted his legacy, “the willingness to make the work continue” and who serves as an essential link for the two institutes.
There are some planned activities to make this event:
May 2025 Opening of the Jubilee Celebrations
August-December 2025: Organisation of local celebrations/animations in each Unit/Country
May 2026: Pentecost- Festive and Fraternal meeting in Lyon of the two congregations
July 2026: Chemy: Celebration of 200th Birth Anniversary of Fr. Augustin Planque
December 2026: Closing of the Jubilee Celebration in each Country.
Present Collaboration Activities in Ghana
In recent times, the collaboration between the OLA and the SMA has greatly improved. This is notably so, as I noted earlier due largely to the presence of African and in particular Ghanaian SMA missionaries on mission in Ghana. This collaboration is on two levels: the social level which includes presence at each other’s events like ordinations and professions, at bereavement and burials, at special anniversaries, among others. There is also collaboration at formal level: common meetings between the Councils of the two congregations to discuss issues of mutual importance, collaboration at project level (the Bresillac Catholic School in Oshuiman); On our part as SMA, knowing that the OLA Province of Ghana is more established than the SMA Province, we decided to establish missions close to where the OLA Sisters are already working so as to collaborate in the area of mission, which is at the core of our charism. This is what lead us to choosing Techimantia in the Goaso diocese, and initiated moves to open a mission near Nkwanta, which unfortunately is yet to come on. We are exploring other areas of collaboration like health, JPIC…
3) Take away points: Toward a deeper witness to our one charism
After all is said and done, what are we to retain in terms of collaboration between the SMA and the OLA;
- The SMA and the OLA are two sides of the same coin – the one charism and one mission. Fr. Augustin Planque, actually wanted female members of the African Missions, with him as superior general, to be sent on the same mission to accomplish and achieve one objective – the evangelisation of Africa and people of African origin; unfortunately, in the Roman Catholic Church of the time, male and female could not belong to one and the same congregation with the same superior. Planque had only one charism – he saw himself as the willingness to water and grow the seed planted by Venerable Bishop de Marion Bresillac. I believe Augustine definitely find it unimaginable to see the OLA Sisters undertaking a mission outside SMA territory or without the SMA Fathers;
- Historical events, character incompatibility, human sentiments, as well as individual personalities led to unfortunate decisions and consequences, especially in the Gold Coast, that for a long time practically brought collaboration to a halt.
- Today, a new era has dawn, with a new awareness of our common charismatic heritage; we are now conscious of our deep rootedness in a common charism and mission; the more we dig deep into our roots, and explore our identity, the more we realised that we are more connected that we thought.
- Our situation is well captured in what the SMA-OLA joint commission called: 2 Founders = 1 Vision (Charism) + 1 Mission = 2 Institutes
- The challenge now for us heirs of the charism given to Venerable Bishop de Marion Bresillac and nurtured by Fr. Augustin Planque, is the following:
- To discern together new ways of mission today in the light of the missionary charism bequeathed to us by our Founders; for this we need people who are trained in the Religious and the Social Sciences, especially Spiritual Theology and Mission Theology, Sociology and Anthropology.
- While not neglecting the social aspect of collaboration, we must move on to missionary cooperation. In other words, involvement actively in the same mission; like the mission in Techimentia; the Fathers and the Sisters are in the same place but each doing his/her own activity. How do we coordinate and plan to converge into obtaining a set objective – evangelisation; also the Bresillac School, or it could be a Clinic; how do we plan, conceive an evangelisation objective, that each group, through their activities contribute to its realisation; e,g. evangelisation of the youth, or emancipation of women, or eradication of a cultural problem, or protection of the environment.
- For long term and enduring collaboration, SMA-OLA patrimony must be taught and lived in during formation years. Joint sessions/workshops between OLA postulants or Novices and SMA students on different topics can be encouraged; so also sessions for young professed and young SMA missionaries on mission would be helpful.
I would like to end with the story of Bilson from Kormantine.
“Go, on account of Moreau, Prempeh gives you freedom”.
On the account of our collaboration, may many gain freedom to serve their Lord in Spirit and in Truth.
Paul Saa-Dade Ennin ,SMA
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