'Convoy Faith' and the Battle of the Atlantic

 A wartime story of 27 Irish missionaries surviving a German attack. This account was compiled by Don Mullan, SMA Ireland Communications Officer.

Pictured (clockwise from top left) are: Srs. Ephrem Hodgson, Jarlath Kelly, Leo McEnery, Ethelbert Coleman, Monica Mc Cabe, Aquinas O'Sullivan and Colmcille O'Doherty. All seven OLA Sisters were onboard the SS California when it was struck.

In the midst of WWII, 27 young and enthusiastic Irish missionary sisters and priests left Ireland for Africa. There were risks involved at every stage of the journey but their drive and commitment calmed any fears they harboured.

The group comprised seven Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Sisters, two St. Joseph of Cluny Sisters, thirteen S.M.A. priests, two White Fathers, one Kiltegan and two Augustinian priests.

The journey is memorable because the convoy the missionaries were sailing in was attacked by the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of the Atlantic, with the ship the missionaries were sailing on suffering a direct hit.

The SMA archive retains a primary account of the voyage, composed in 1993, the 50th anniversary of the attack. It was written by Sr. M. Ethelbert, OLA.

Sr. Ethelbert begins her essay:

“The desire and wish of every young woman who becomes an OLA Sister is to be sent to Africa… and in 1943 [we] were given the glorious news that [we] would be bound for Africa before the end of the year… [WWII] was raging and no one could be sure of departure. We had to keep our good news to ourselves, it was top secret…

“Not for long was it a secret; an observant Sister noticed the special numbers being sewn on and they were not for returning Missionaries! Mother Monica, Mother Columcille and Sister Leo had completed their home leave and we, the privileged four: Sisters Jarlath, Ephrem, Aquinas and Ethelbert were to accompany them on the voyage back to West Africa.

Click here to read the full story.