The Society of African Missions (Latin: Societas Missionum ad Afros; French: Société des Missions Africaines), also known as the SMA Fathers, is a Catholic religious society of apostolic life of pontifical right for men founded by Melchior de Marion Brésillac in 1856.

The Society was founded in 1856 by Bishop Melchior de Marion Brésillac with the blessing of Pope Pius IX.

[9][10] The post-nominal initials S.M.A is the acronym of the Society's name in Latin: Societas Missionum ad Afros.

In 1878 Fr Francis Devoucoux SMA came to Mayfield, Cork to take charge of the Apostolic school.

[12] The Irish province was officially founded on 15 May 1912 by Bishop Paul Pellet, SMA Superior General, and is based in Cork.

Cois Tine (which means fireside in Irish) is an initiative by the SMA in Ireland helping immigrants from Africa.

[16][17] The diocese then encompassed the whole of the state of Georgia, and as such Lissner and other SMA priests were responsible for founding some of the oldest Black parishes there (including Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Atlanta, and St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Macon's Pleasant Hill Historic District).

[18] During his time in Savannah, Lissner also helped found the Franciscan Handmaids of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, in response to a Georgia law banning White teachers from teaching Black students.

[19] Lissner enlisted the help of Mary Theodore Williams to found an order of Black nuns to teach there instead.

Lissner started in 1921 what was at the time the United States' only integrated seminary, St. Anthony's Mission House in Bergen County, New Jersey.

[21] The province's headquarters remains as of 2022 in Tenafly, New Jersey at the former seminary, where there is also a formation house and residence that celebrates liturgy daily.