The Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr.) are hosting the 2026 International biennial Assembly of Missionary Societies of Apostolic Life (MISAL) from 13 to 17 April 2026 at Lourdel House in Kampala, Uganda, under the theme “From the Blood of the Martyrs to the Mission of Today”.
Societies of apostolic life, by their very nature, aim for evangelization ad gentes as their apostolic purpose. Regarding these Societies, canon law stipulates: “Societies of apostolic life resemble institutes of consecrated life; their members, without religious vows, pursue the apostolic purpose proper to the society and, leading a life in common as brothers or sisters according to their proper manner of life, strive for the perfection of charity through the observance of the constitutions. Among these are societies in which members assume the evangelical counsels by some bond defined in the constitutions” (can. 731).
The gathering in Kampala brings together 36 participants from 20 Societies who responded to the invitation: Bethlehem Mission Society (SMB), Korean Missionary Society (KMS), Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (MM), Mission Society of the Philippines (MSP), Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr.), Missionaries of Guadalupe (MG), Missionary Society of St Thomas the Apostle (MST), Missionary Society of St. Columban (SSC), Missionary Society of the Good News (SMBN), Paris Foreign Missions (MEP), Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), Society of African Missions (SMA), Society of Foreign Missions (PME), Society of Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (MMI), Society of Saint Francis Xavier (SFX), Society of the Priest of st James (SPSJ), Spanish Missionary Institute (IEME), St. Patrick’s Missionary Society (SPMS), Thai Missionary Society (TMS), and Yarumal Foreign Mission Society (MXY).
They come from 22 nations: Australia, Canada, Colombia, D.R. Congo, Philippines, France, Haiti, India, Ireland, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA, and Zambia.
The meeting was announced in October 2025 by Fr. Stanley Lubungo, Superior General of the Missionaries of Africa, as a follow-up to the previous MISAL gathering held in Goa, India. “We greatly look forward to welcoming you in the land of the Uganda Martyrs, whose witness continues to proclaim the fertility of African soil for the Good News of Jesus Christ. After our last meeting in Asia, it will be a beautiful and enriching experience to gather this time on African soil!” The choice of Uganda honors the Uganda Martyrs, first Ugandan Christians who were accompanied by the first Missionaries of Africa who arrived in Uganda in 1879.
The program highlights include:
- Tuesday, 14 April: Talks on historical context of evangelization in Uganda; legacy of the Uganda Martyrs; testimonies; and visit to Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine with evening Eucharist.
- Wednesday, 15 April: Pilgrimage in the footsteps of the martyrs: Lubaga, Nabulagala Parish, Kasubi Royal Tombs, Namugongo Shrine where the Eucharist will be celebrated, followed by visit to Nakiyanja Anglican martyrs’ site.
- Thursday, 16 April: Assembly sessions, continental group discussions, and closing Mass with ceremony. A special guest is Rev. Fr. Anton Paul Padinjarathala, SDB, from the Dicastery for Evangelization.
Participants will also enjoy a cultural evening at Ndele and have opportunities for fraternal sharing. The meeting aims to strengthen collaboration among Missionary Societies of Apostolic Life and reflect on how the memory of martyrdom shapes mission today.
By: Serge Zihalirwa Boroto, M.Afr.