White Fathers

Missionaries of Africa
Missionarii Africae
AbbreviationM.Afr.
NicknameWhite Fathers
Formation1868
(156 years ago)
 (1868)
FounderArchbishop Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie
Founded atAlgiers, Algeria
TypeSociety of apostolic life of pontifical right (for men)
HeadquartersVia Aurelia 269, Rome, Italy
Membership
1,371 members (includes 1,029 priests) as of 2020
Superior General
Fr. Stanley Lubungo, M. Afr.
Ministries
evangelism and education
Parent organization
Roman Catholic Church
Websitemafrome.org

The White Fathers (French: Pères Blancs), officially known as the Missionaries of Africa (Latin: Missionarii Africae) and abbreviated MAfr,[1] are a Roman Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right (for Men) founded in 1868 by then Archbishop of Algiers Charles-Martial Allemand-Lavigerie.[2]

The society focuses on evangelism and education, mostly in Africa. In 2021, there were 1,428 members of the Missionaries of Africa of 36 nationalities, working in 42 countries, in 217 communities.[3]

  1. ^ "Missionaries of Africa (M. Afr.)". GCatholic. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
  2. ^ "Missionaries of Africa (M.AFR) White Fathers". Gcatholic. 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference blanc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).