White Fathers
The White Fathers (), officially the Missionaries of Africa () abbreviated MAfr), 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. The society focuses on evangelism and education, mostly in Africa. In 2021, there were 1428 members of the Missionaries of Africa of 36 nationalities, working in 42 countries, in 217 communities. History The cholera epidemic of 1867 left a large number of Algerian orphans, and the education and Christian instruction of these children was the occasion of the founding of the society in Maison-Carrée (now El-Harrach) near Algiers; but from its inception the founder had in mind the conversion of the Arabs and the peoples of Central Africa. Lavigerie instructed his missionaries to speak the language of the people, eat the same food, and wear the same clothing. They therefore adopted North African dress for their vestments: the gandoura for the cassock, the burnous for the mantle, and even the chechia for the Zucchetto. They wore their rosary with crucifix as a necklace and token of their religion, in imitation of the misbaha of the marabouts. The nickname "White Fathers" derives from their garb. A