CATHOLIC MISSIONARY UNION

WELCOME

PEACE BE WITH YOU

"Go, therefore,and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit"

Murchison Falls, Uganda

The Catholic Missionary Union of England and Wales is the forum where all missionary activity and interests come together.  
The objectives of the Catholic Missionary Union are:

1) the promotion of awareness in the Catholic Church of England and Wales and in society at large, of the Church's role and activity in missionary works worldwide and the practical implications this has for local Catholic churches and society;

2) the co-operation and sharing with the local church in its activities of interfaith dialogue and in its pastoral concern for minorities;

3) acting as the bridge between the local church in England and Wales and the local church across the world for their pastoral and theological development.

The Catholic Missionary Union of England Wales (CMU) succeeded the National Missionary Council of England and Wales (1972-1998) in October 1998.  On 14th August 1998 it became a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act 1985 and a registered charity on 24th October 2000.

The CMU is the forum where all missionary activity and interests come together.  CMU is established in conformity with the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales as a consultative body.

The Committees of the Catholic Missionary Union are the Men's Mission Committee, composed of nine members: Columban Fathers, Comboni (Verona) Fathers, Holy Ghost Father, Kiltegan Fathers, Mill Hill Missionaries, Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), Society of African Missions, Society of Jesus, and the Xaverian Missionaries; the Combined Missionary Societies Committee, a sub-committee of the Men's Mission Committee, composed of fourteen members: Augustinians, Brothers of the Sacred Heart, Christian Brothers, Crusade of the Holy Spirit, Dominicans, Josephites, Marists, Montfort Fathers, Redemptorists, Sacred Heart Fathers and Brothers (Betharram), Sacred Heart Fathers (Malpas), the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, Salesian of Don Bosco, and Salvatorians; and the Sisters' Mission Committee, composed of fourteen members: Columban Sisters, Comboni Missionary Sisters, Consolata Missionary Sisters, Franciscan Missionaries of St. Joseph, Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa, Medical MIssionaries of Mary, Medical Mission Sisters, Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, Missionary SIsters of the Holy Rosary, Missionary Sisters of St Peter Claver, Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, Salesian Sisters, and Servants of the Holy Spirit.

WELCOME 

We are a union of some thirty eight Congregations and Orders engaged in Missionary work all over the globe.  We seek to serve the poor and the marginalised with commitment and dedication; to proclaim by our lives and witness the wonderful message of the Gospel.; that we are cherished and deeply loved by our loving Father, and that our destiny is to live with Him and our Lord Jesus and The Holy Spirit for all eternity. Each one of us is called to that destiny.

We share our lives and our faith in this world, and our world, for many, is a terrifying and challenging place.  We work with the poor, the destitute, the sick, the rejected and the powerless.  It can be dangerous work and even cost lives.  Between 1980 and 1989 115 missionaries died violently.  Between 1990 and 2000 at least 604 were killed.  Between 2001-2006 152 pastoral workers have been killed.  All these martyrs died to give witness to the wondrous message of love and forgiveness.  It is the right of everyone to be offered this message of love.

Each of our member congregations has its own unique origin, charism and story.  Yet each shares the same vision, the same commitment to service, to see in everyone they meet the person of Jesus, and to serve them with humility and love.  Each month we shall look more closely at one off our Orders or Associations, and tell something of their work.  This month we are looking at The Society of African Missions (SMA).

SMA

We are an international missionary Society with our missionaries coming from 24 countries. Our missionary focus is Africa and her people. Our purpose is to spread the Gospel. Our missionaries presently serve in 17 different African countries.

This year sees the SMA celebrating 150 years of mission activity in and for Africa. Our Society was founded at Lyons, France in 1856. It was founded by a French Missionary Bishop, Bishop Melchior de Marion Bresillac, who set out the following four guiding principles for his work at the beginning of his missionary career:

To be a missionary with all my heart
To neglect nothing that will advance the work of God
To seize every opportunity of preaching the word of God
To use every available means to train a native clergy

The British Province of our Society had its beginnings in Manchester in 1953, where today, we have the Provincial Headquarters and a mission promotions centre. A further two mission promotions centres are located in London in the South and Dunblane in Scotland.

I invite you now to browse through the pages of the website where we offer information on the history, life and mission of the SMA. At the same time, I invite you to support us in our missionary work. May the Good Shepard continue to bless and protect you and your loved ones each and every day.