Here is some information on the most notable aspects of the final document of the Synod on Synodality. We hope you find it useful and encourage you to listen to it as a community. (Audio in Spanish)
Formation
Hope, respect, solidarity, and let’s get to work…
Today, November 12, 2025, as part of the Comboni Family Forum on Integral Ecology 2025, we had an intense day, beginning with a community prayer at the Sagrada Familia Social Center in Belem, Brazil, where, after placing ourselves in God’s hands, we gathered in small groups and went to different locations where the COP30 International Conference on Climate Change is taking place.
An interesting reflection took place at the Church Symposium at COP30, where church leaders from various continents, authorities, and representatives of traditional peoples gathered for a dialogue on paths to ecological conservation.
At the same time, conferences were held at other locations, such as the Federal University of Pará, the blue zone, and the Pará River, where a boat trip took place.
Among the topics of conversation and denunciation at this summit were: the defense of the most needy peoples, an end to violence, peace, solidarity, and care for our common home, climate justice, the sovereignty of peoples, integral solidarity, and above all, such important issues as the protection of natural resources and saying no to mining and polluting practices.
The first day ended with the opening of COP30 at the University and the presentation of important figures, including the Rector, and artistic performances. At the same time, there was a march for the martyrs, which ended with Holy Mass in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nazareth, concluding a day full of reflection, commitment, and hope for a more just, sustainable, and supportive world, respecting all those who do not just talk about ecology but live it in their daily lives….
Maritza Rodríguez Pacheco
CLM Costa Rica
We have 10 new Comboni Lay Missionaries
During the month of October, we had many significant celebrations, beginning on Saturday, October 4, with the joyful celebration of Children’s Day in the Community of León El Manzanillo, which we all attended with great joy and deeply inspired by the Holy Spirit. The activity began around 9:00 a.m. and throughout the day, we shared a snack, held contests, played games, and enjoyed breaking piñatas. Likewise, without neglecting the spiritual aspect, we presented the theme: Jesus, salvation. We finished this activity around noon, but our commitment continued: we visited some people who were facing health problems to offer them support, words of encouragement, and share with them the richness of God’s word.
On October 10, another special ceremony took place: a Mass in honor of St. Daniel Comboni, celebrated at the San Luis Parish in Petén. We also commemorated 20 years of the presence of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) in the community. That day was particularly important for the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM), as ten members made their official commitment, reaffirming their dedication to missionary service and their identity as Comboni lay people.
Two days later, on October 12, we gathered again for the Eucharistic Celebration on the Feast of St. Daniel Comboni and to give thanks for the closing of the 2025 cycle at the Comboni School. During this special celebration, the Camey Figueroa family, who will soon be leaving on mission to Brazil, had the honor of leading the opening procession, a moment filled with gratitude and hope.
The joy continued in the afternoon, and we all enjoyed a pleasant lunch together. Around 2:00 p.m., the traditional Bingo organized by the CLM began. In addition, we had various items available for sale, including religious objects, books, flower pots, and more. The day was filled with joy and reflection as we remembered the importance of our mission by celebrating the day of our founder’s birth into eternal life.
We concluded the month by joyfully participating in the Pilgrimage and Mass of the Second Archdiocesan Synod under the theme “Living and Proclaiming the Gospel,” celebrated on Sunday, October 26. This event sought to renew the pastoral spirit, promoting a more inclusive, missionary Church committed to synodality. The Archdiocese of Santiago de Guatemala has used these synods to strengthen the sense of community, celebration, and evangelization within the sacraments and all ecclesial life.
October was a month that invited us to reflect on our mission and live with true purpose. Each activity not only brought us closer to our faith but also to our community and missionary commitment.
Marianne Alarcón, CLM Guatemala
Missionary testimony of Comboni Sister Lucía Fonts
We continue with our series of missionary testimonies. In this one, Sister Lucía, a Comboni missionary in the Central African Republic, talks about some important moments in her vocation and missionary life.
We invite you to watch it (video in Spanish).
The beauty of our vocation as a source of joy
This was the theme with which we began our national assembly of the CLM in Portugal, which took place last weekend, October 25-26, at the MCCJ house in Maia. In her reflection, Sr. Graça, a Comboni Missionary and our advisor, inspired us to recognize God’s gaze on our CLM vocation and to realize how our vocation permeates our daily lives, like “yeast in dough.” She also invited us to recognize that it was God who called and chose us! She invited us to contemplate the beauty of mission and vocation, and to seek to recognize the presence of perennial joy, of mission as relationship, as a dynamic of communion, from which we radiate God’s Love.
Next, the Activity Plan and the annual budget for 2026 were presented and approved. Each local community also had space to share its plans for the coming year.
The following day, the Letters of the Ministries that make up the CLM Association were approved, which were drawn up since the last assembly, which took place in March this year.
At the end of Sunday morning, we celebrated Holy Mass, presided over by Fr. José Vieira, a Comboni missionary working in Ethiopia, where all the CLM members present, including those participating online, renewed their CLM commitment.
The weekend was a favorable time of encounter, reflection, and fellowship, with the participation of 15 CLM members, 3 of whom participated online. We thank God for calling each one of us and for always accompanying us on this missionary journey!
Saint Daniel Comboni, pray for us!
CLM Portugal Communication
