The OLA Blog
Stories, reflections, and updates from our mission and community life. Here we share reflections, insights and experiences, believing that the simple act of sharing can inspire, connect, and open hearts.
The coast as a Metaphor for Encounter
In the last reflection we traced the history of the SMA and OLA mission, a story shaped by both fragility and faith. From there, the shoreline itself emerged as a living image — a place of transition and encounter that continues to speak into the meaning of mission...
The History of the SMA and OLA Mission in Africa
Last week we shared the voices of the pioneer sisters, whose letters revealed the cost and courage of those first beginnings. Holding their words, we now turn to the broader history of the SMA and OLA mission, a story neither smooth nor settled, but carried by faith...
Holding Earth in Our Hands
The first of September approaches without fanfare. In Ireland, the mornings are cooling now. The fields tilt towards harvest. Leaves will soon begin to loosen their hold. Across Africa, the earth tells a different story. One of parched soil, of rains that do...
At the Edge of the Shoreline
This series of reflections draws on materials shared by those present in Oudah, earlier this year for the launch of our Jubilee celebrations. They engage with the written traces of the colloquium an attempt to dwell with the textures that emerged from those voices....
Our Path to the Jubilee
Celebrating the Jubilee Launch in Ireland Earlier in the summer, the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles in Ireland began our journey towards the 150th Jubilee in 2026 with two meaningful gatherings at Ardfoyle. These events followed the official international...
A Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace
Press Release: The UISG’s Call: “Let Us Not Remain Silent” Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Myanmar. The wounds of our world are plain to see: faces marked by pain, homes destroyed, communities torn apart. Women and...
Women of Africa are Shaping the Future
The Global Impact we Overlook The International Day of Women and Girls of African Descent exists because history has been selective with its attention. It has recorded discovery while ignoring context. It has celebrated progress while overlooking whose hands were...
Seeds of Peace and Hope
Pope Leo XIV Prayer for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2025The Season of Creation, observed from 1 September to 4 October each year, calls Christian communities into a time of prayer, attention, and responsibility. This year marks the tenth...
Preparing for Final Vows
There is a particular grace in preparation. A time set aside not to rush ahead, but to listen more deeply, to pause, and to grow. In Ibadan, 24 young OLA Sisters are doing just that. They have gathered from across our international communities to take part in the...
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