ONGOING FORMATION
Growing as missionaries — for a lifetime
Ongoing formation is not a programme to be completed. It is a way of being – the daily readiness to let Christ become, not merely the norm of our action, but the very form of our person. It is the initial ‘yes’ to his call – spoken when we made our missionary oath –continually reaffirmed through years of other responses, each rooted in and enlivened by that first ‘yes’.
READ MORE
The question at stake is not only what the missionary does, but who the missionary is. We are not batteries to be periodically recharged, nor goods to be recycled. We are living persons in constant interaction with God, with our brothers, and with the people of Africa to whom we are sent. The goal of ongoing formation is growth in vocation – so that we may truly be a blessing to the people to whom we are sent.
Before any structured programme, formation begins with an inner posture. Cencini calls it docibilitas – the willingness to be formed by life itself: reading and reflecting, seeking spiritual accompaniment, rereading the signs of the times, tending the prayer that sustains all the rest. Formation becomes truly ongoing when the person learns to live every situation and every relationship as an occasion for growth.
“It is the true formation – the one in which Christ truly becomes the form, in the profound and complete sense of the term, of the personality of the one who forms himself: not only the norm of his action and the trace that his steps follow.”
– Amadeo Cencini, “The ongoing formation… Do we really believe in it?”, Lessius, 2014, p.24
FIVE DIMENSIONS OF ONGOING FORMATION
All programmes of ongoing formation, while retaining their own focus, integrate five essential and inseparable dimensions. Together they attend to the whole person and to the whole of missionary life.
Human Self-knowledge, emotional maturity, healthy relationships, and the integration of personal history and limits | Spiritual Deepening union with Christ, prayer, discernment, and fidelity to one’s interior life as the source of all fruitfulness |
Intellectual Theological and missiological updating, reading the signs of the times, and the ongoing study that keeps mission alive | Pastoral Renewing apostolic methods, deepening collaboration, and growing in the skills that genuine service of the Church requires |
Missionary Rekindling the specific fire of ad gentes mission: cross-cultural presence, dialogue, and creative fidelity to the Society’s charism |
WHY IT MATTERS – THE WEIGHT OF MISSIONARY LIFE
In a world whose rapid changes do not spare the Church, spiritual, apostolic, communal, and human challenges multiply. For the ad gentes missionary, they take particular forms:
Uprooted Far from family, culture, language – from the roots that once gave support and security | Overextended Apostolic work that never ends; expectations to be always available, holy, without limit |
Under-supported Community tension, little recognition, cultural and generational differences poorly carried | Self-unknown Unexamined wounds, neglected prayer, absent accompaniment – there are no supermen among us |
These are not signs of weakness. They are the terrain in which vocation either matures – or, without care, quietly diminishes. Ongoing formation is the Society’s sustained response, and its gift to the African Church. Missionaries who remain alive, grounded, and growing serve with greater depth, joy, and fidelity.
GENERAL COUNCIL SESSIONS — AN ACCOMPANIMENT FOR EVERY STAGE OF LIFE
Among the Missionaries of Africa, we are privileged to have a structured accompaniment keyed to the major milestones of missionary life. For each important turning point, a specific formation is offered:
AFTER 2ND TERM · 5–6 YEARS · 3 WEEKS Second Mission Review Deepening roots, integrating experience, and broadening the missionary horizon | JERUSALEM · MARCH – JUNE · 3 MONTHS · 35–50 YEARS Session Retreat Scripture, Holy Land pilgrimage, and a full Ignatian retreat – for spiritual renewal in the footsteps of Jesus |
JERUSALEM · SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER · 3 MONTHS · 40–60 YRS Session Bethesda Scripture study, Holy Sites pilgrimage, and a personal spiritual journey culminating in an 8-day retreat | ROME · 60–75 YEARS · 1 MONTH Transition to the Third Age Preparing the gift of elder missionary witness at a major life transition |
ROME · 75 AND BEYOND · 2½ WEEKS Seniors Session Accompanying a life of prayer, gratitude, and continued communion |
The Jerusalem Sessions – at Sainte-Anne
Both Jerusalem sessions are hosted by the Missionaries of Africa at the Sanctuary of Sainte-Anne, in the heart of the Old City – at the site where Jesus healed the paralysed man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–6). The sessions are offered each year alternately in English and French, and are open to priests, religious brothers and sisters in mission in Africa or who have served in Africa.
Contact: sessionjersecr@gmail.com · WhatsApp: +972 55 943 5595 · ste-anne-jerusalem.org
PROVINCIAL AND THEMATIC FORMATION
Provinces and sectors organise formation addressing both the earlier stages of missionary life and the pastoral priorities of our Chapters – often in collaboration with local dioceses and other congregations.
AFTER 1ST TERM · ~3 YEARS · ORGANISED BY THE PROVINCE
First Mission Review
A first moment of structured reflection after an initial term in the field – consolidating experience, integrating lessons learned, and discerning the next steps. Organised by the Provincial Superior of each Province.
Shorter sessions (typically 3–5 days) address the specific challenges of missionary life and the following thematic areas:
- Justice & Peace
- Interreligious Dialogue
- Inculturation
- Integrity of Creation
- Safeguarding
- Community Life
- Human & Personality Growth
- Cross-cultural Living
- Mission & Theology
ICOF — A WIDER COMMUNION IN FORMATION
Inter-Congregational Ongoing Formation (ICOF)
A consortium of five Africa-mission congregations – sharing resources, sharing the journey
Ongoing formation is not only a personal or congregational undertaking – it is also an ecclesial one. Recognising that the challenges of missionary life are shared across congregations, the Missionaries of Africa are a founding member of ICOF. Its three programmes are designed to meet missionaries where they are: in the depth of sabbatical, the freshness of renewal, or the urgency of resilience.
3–6 MONTHS · ARUSHA, TANZANIA
Sabbatical Programme
A sustained season of interior renewal and vocational deepening
The Arusha sabbatical is ICOF’s flagship offering – an extended withdrawal from active ministry for missionaries who need time and space to be renewed from the inside out. Rooted in the African context and drawing on the wisdom of all five congregations, it offers an integrated experience of prayer, reflection, accompaniment, and community. The programme is structured in two distinct cycles, which participants may attend separately or together:
The Wholeness Cycle Attends to the human person: healing, integration, self-knowledge, and the restoration of inner freedom. A space to bring the whole self, including wounds and limits, into the light of God’s mercy. | The Good Shepherd’s Cycle Attends to the missionary vocation: pastoral identity, the spirituality of sending, and renewed commitment to the people and Church of Africa. A space to hear again the voice of the One who calls and sends. |
2 MONTHS · ABIDJAN, CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Renewal Programme
Returning to the sources – spiritual, theological, apostolic
The Abidjan renewal programme offers a shorter but substantial time of refreshment and updating. Drawing on the rich ecclesial life of West Africa, it combines spiritual deepening with theological and missiological renewal – helping missionaries reconnect with the foundations of their call and re-engage their ministry with fresh energy and perspective.
2 WEEKS · MOBILE – WHERE THE NEED ARISES
Resilience ProgrammeMeeting missionaries in difficulty – with support, tools, and fraternityThe resilience programme is ICOF’s most flexible offering – a mobile, context-sensitive intervention designed to reach missionaries facing particular challenges: burnout, trauma, transitions, or crisis. Delivered in the field, it brings practical support, structured reflection, and the companionship of the wider missionary family to those who need it most.
Founding Congregations
- Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans · CSSp)
- Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers · M.Afr.)
- Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa (MSOLA · White Sisters)
- Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA Sisters)
- Society of African Missions (SMA Fathers)
CONTACTS
For information and registration, please contact the responsible person for the relevant programme directly. “I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you.” – 2 Timothy 1:6
| Session after 1st term | Provincial Superior of each Province Organised at provincial level |
| Session after 2nd term | gmg.second.term@mafr.org |
| Session Retraite, Jerusalem (35–50 yrs) | sessionjersecr@gmail.com |
| Session Bethesda, Jerusalem (40–60 yrs) | sessionjersecr@gmail.com |
| Transition to Third Age, Rome (60–75 yrs) | gmg.rome.sessions@mafr.org |
| Seniors Session, Rome (75+) | gmg.rome.sessions@mafr.org |
Self-Care Team
The Society’s Self-Care Team accompanies the human and spiritual wellbeing of missionaries across the Society – offering resources, guidance, and support to provinces, communities, and individuals.
Coordinator: gmg.selfcare@mafr.org
Second Term Confreres Session in Nairobi, 2026
From 23 August to 13 September 2026, twenty-three Missionaries of Africa priests gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Second Term Confreres Session. Facilitated by Fr. Olivier Soma and Fr. Yago Abeledo, the session brought together confreres from the following Provinces:
March against Femicide in Beira, Mozambique
In the heart of Beira, the capital of Sofala Province, a resounding message echoed through the streets last week: enough is enough. On March 7, 2026, approximately 700 women, alongside members of civil society organizations, women’s groups, community leaders, and
Trust and inner peace: a ‘heart-to-heart’ discussion between young people and parents
JPIC-ED SEMINAR IN IBADAN In the pastoral ministry, we encounter cases of conflict among generations. We call these inter-generational conflicts. One of these involves parents and children (youth). In many homes today, conversations between parents and their children often feel
Celebration of Saint Josephine Bakhita and the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking in Brussels, 2026
On Saturday afternoon, February 7, about sixty people, including members of ten religious congregations, gathered at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament – la Viale Europe in Brussels to commemorate Saint Bakhita and to pray and denounce human trafficking and
Caring for our common home in the Philippines, a duty and not an option
The Season of Creation The month of September is dedicated to the ‘Season of Creation’ which runs from September 1 to October 4, feast of St Francis of Assisi. This represents a wonderful opportunity to recall the invitation of Pope
The Anti-Slavery Campaign – A Timeless Exercise for Justice and Peace
OVERVIEW OF THE WORKSHOP ORGANIZED BY THE MISSIONARIES OF AFRICA (WHITE FATHERS) – JPIC-ED IN NIGERIA SECTOR Introduction The Society of Missionaries of Africa, White Fathers, under the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation – Encounter and Dialogue (JPIC-ED) team,
The Enduring Relevance of Laudato Si’
Is Laudato Si’ still relevant? Without violating the rules of logic, the answer is Yes. Though this encyclical is still to be discovered, understood and appreciated, the Society of Missionaries of Africa finds it useful. It holds the view that
