Our story began in 1876 in Lyon, France, with a simple yet radical call: to form a congregation of women missionaries who would serve with humility, respect, and deep intercultural understanding — especially in Africa, where the need was great and the presence of women in mission was rare. This call was entrusted to Fr Augustine Planque SMA, who founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles in response to the need for women’s presence in mission.

From the very beginning, ours has been an international congregation. Within a year of our foundation, our first Sisters set out for West Africa. Since then, the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles have journeyed across continents and cultures, often quietly, often unseen — present in communities where life is fragile, where hope is tested, and where presence offers what words cannot.

Today, OLA Sisters serve in 21 countries across four continents, with a continuing emphasis on building community and nurturing relationships, deepening collaboration grounded in mutual respect, embracing accompaniment as a shared journey, practising synodality as a way of listening and discerning together, and living service with humility and care.  Africa remains at the heart of our mission, where our roots are deeply planted and continue to grow.