Togo-Ghana-Benin – Page 3 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Send Lord workers to your vineyard

5 September, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

For a long time, our group existed with same members. Worse, the number kept on reducing. About twenty, we dropped to ten and for a while just five. The discouragement came out of the various challenges we were facing during the formation process. But, by God’s grace, a new dynamism came with the Superior Provincial Father Timothy and the chaplain Leopold. After the promise of three members on the 10th October last year and after the African Assembly in Benin, we had the joy to see new arrival for the CLM journey.

1. In Ghana :

With the zeal of Mr. Wotormenyo Christian, an old member of the group, have started the CLM formation Ladies Grace Dzokoto and Gifty Aziedu and the Misters Valentine Sewovi, Emmanuel Aniewu, Daniel Gbekie and Peter Kofitio. With the long distance that separates us from one another, in addition to the monthly meeting which requires a physical presence, we plan some online meetings to share some information. Some candidates started attending the monthly meeting already. And to solve in a way the problem of distance between us, we are thinking of having some days formation during vacation. This will at the same time consolidate our community life.

2. In Togo

Seven (7) are the candidates in Lome, Togo at Mary Mother of the Redeemer Parish. The zeal of these committed faithful is remarkable. The group has been in existence for a while. They have some commitments at the Parish and collaborate actively with the Comboni Sisters of Adidogome. Sister Elisabeth, SMC and Father Augustine, MCCJ accompany the group. Misters Botri Ernest, Adjogble Benjamin, Akitibi Jean, Gnimassoun Jean Baptiste and the ladies Emilienne Avotonou, Keto Dorothy and Maria Dong are the candidates in formation. The formation has formally started already. CLM in the Province and the Chaplain are in touch with the group for the growth of the members. We (CLM) will organize from time to time some visits to them for sharing of experience. Visits in that sense have started already: Alberto (CC coordinator) and Justin (coordinator in the province) paid a visit to the group in November 2022. Another visit was paid on the 20th August 2023 on Sister Elisabeth’s invitation. The sharing was about The mission of CLM in the church and the society which went on wonderfully with the contribution of each one including Sister Elisabeth.

3. In Benin

In Benin, two aspirants manifested their desire to start the CLM journey via the CLM blog: Misters Ulrich Coffi and Aboe Lucien. Chats with them is conducted for now online. They will soon meet Brother Pascal, MCCJ who will plan, with them, the Chaplain and the CLM, the formation process.

We are grateful to the Lord who continues to sow in the heart of the faithful « a strong missionary drive for Christ to be witnessed and announced to those who do not know him yet ».

Justin, CLM.

Vocation promotion and together with MCCJ and CMS

29 December, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

Taking advantage of Alberto’s visit in the province, we moved across Ghana-Togo-Benin to share our vocation with Friends of Comboni/ Amicale and also to some communities.

On the 26th November 2022, after a meeting with the CLM group in Ghana, Alberto, Justin and Frank started the tour. The first interaction was with Friends of Comboni in St. Paul Catholic Church of Nkanfoa, Cape Coast (Rep. of Ghana). It was a motivating exchange between us. In the presence of Father Boris and two Scholastics we shared with our friends our reality as CLM encouraging them to take a step ahead and start the CLM journey.

On the 27th November, first Sunday of Advent, with a proposal of Father Antoine, a formator in the Scholasticate and Vice Provincial, we divided ourselves to accompany the fathers for the Eucharistic Celebration. Alberto stayed at the main station with Fr. Joseph, Frank followed Fr. Boris to Akonomah (where we had two years ago a missionary experience) and Justin with Fr. Antoine at Edukrom. We were given the opportunity to do CLM vocation promotion.

Back to Togo, on the 30th November, Alberto and Justin met another group at Adidogome, a group followed by Rev. Sister Elisabeth, CMS and Fr. Augustine, MCCJ. The group was very dynamic with the zeal of all its members ready to embrace Comboni charism as CLM.

From 30th November to 3rd December, we stayed at the Postulancy living together with the fathers Anicet, Maurice and Tenías all MCCJ and the 20 postulants. We prayed, participated to the Eucharistic Celebrations and shared meal together.

On the 1st December, morning, Alberto and I went to visit the Comboni Sisters. We stayed together and shared some ideas especially about the group of Friends of Comboni which Sister Elisabeth was accompanying.

In the evening, we went to Cacaveli to share with another group of Friends of Comboni. Scholastic Joseph Atsou, responsible of CAM (Missionary Animation Center) was present at the meeting and promised to accompany the group.

Before the meeting, Alberto and Justin went to greet Fr. Timothy, the Superior Provincial.

In Benin, after the CLM Assembly, Alberto, Justin and Brother Pascal visited another group of “Amicale” in Cotonou a group accompanied by Brother Pascal, MCCJ. Out of the bigger group, some members were very committed.

We took contacts from all the groups from Ghana to Benin and promised to continue interacting with them. We hope with divine grace, that soon, some will join the CLM group.

Justin Nougnui, CLM.

Engagement of the first CLM in Togo-Ghana-Benin

4 November, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

After a quite lengthy training period, three of the CLM candidates in the Province of Togo-Ghana-Benin were accepted to make their engagement. Frank Amenyo, Benjamin Amekor and Justin Nougnui were invited by the Chaplain Rev. Fr. Leopold Adanle to come for a day recollection at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mafi-Kumase (Rep. of Ghana) on the 8th October, 2022. The recollection was facilitated by Rev. Fr. Achille Dansou, MCCJ in Mafi-Kumase Parish. He shared with us the theme of the World Mission Sunday proposed by the Holy Father, “You shall be my witnesses”. We had adoration in the day and also a Rosary with the Church Community of Mafi-Kumase. We ended the recollection with Sunday Eucharistic Celebration presided by the Parish Priest who is also our Chaplain.

On the 10th October, the Feast Day of St. Daniel Comboni, the MCCJ of the Province gathered at Mafi-Kumase for the occasion around the Provincial Rev. Fr. Timothée Hounake. After the profession of faith, we were called and presented to the Provincial. And before the Provincial, one after the other, we took our engagement to be CLM. We were received into the New Family. After the mass and taking of pictures, we were invited to the MCCJ gathering where we were made aware of the happenings in the Province in particular and in the Comboni Family in general. After this, we shared a family meal together with the MCCJ and our families.

We thank the Lord for the celebration. We thank the MCCJ family and our families and friends who have been with us. May we become “saint and capable” CLM.

St. Daniel Comboni, pray for us.

For the three, Justin Nougnui (CLM).

Missionary experience in the province of Togo-Ghana-Benin Province from 11th December, 2021 to 3rd January, 2022.

18 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

On the 11th December, three of our members namely Wotormenyo Christian, Amekor Benjamin and Justin Nougnui started the journey to Togo. After crossing Togo-Ghana border, we headed towards Tabligbo to meet the parish priest Rev. Fr. Shane Degblor who took us to Sts Joachim and Anna catholic Church in Esse_Ana where we should reside for the experience. Our stay for three weeks helped us to enjoy our togetherness and also to go out to meet other people. We were later joined by our brother Godwin Ocloo.

A. A. Community life

We had time to pray together as CLM aspirants, eat together, plan together.

Prayer life : We had time to pray together in the morning and evening, share daily readings and mostly Sunday readings with some comments given to us by the parish priest.
Around the table: With a food prepared by ourselves or with the help of some members of the Church, we always sat at the same table for the meal. And often, the eating went in pair with discussion on our experience and also about clm life in our province.
Planning: In evening, we reflected on how best we spent the day and how best we could continue.

B. Life with the church community

The meeting held with the parish priest on the 15th December after our arrival at Esse-Ana paved the way for us in our commitment with the church community.

Prayer with the community: We had morning celebrations from Monday to Friday. With the nice organization of the Diocese of Aneho about the lay Communion Ministers, we had the grace to receive Holy Communion at daily basis with the zeal of the Fidei Custos Richard Tchitchira.

The worship was either presided over by one of us or the catechist Albert Adandjehoun.

Monday and Thursday, we prayed rosary.

Christmas festivities were very enjoyed with celebrations and entertainment by Holy Childhood and Hosevu (drum group).

Work with the church associations: A meeting held with associations’ leaders on the 12th December helped us to know the challenges some groups were facing. We tried our best to help them especially the Choir and the lectors. With morning songs learning, we equipped the choristers with some new songs. Also, we increased the number of the lectors by calling for membership.
Training on worship leading: We started a training of two members of Esse-Ana community to enable them to lead a celebration in the absence of a priest. We entrusted the two people to the catechist to continue their training.

C. Meeting with outside church world

House visitation: House visitation helped us to come across some sick people either of the church or not. We met a sub-committee of the church committee in charge of sick people to continue the visitation and plan some help to them. We also spoke to the catechist to prepare the communicants among the sick for the Sacrament of Confession so to prepare them for Holy Communion. We invited other people to join us in our celebrations.
Teaching of English language: We came to Esse-Ana some days before vacation. With this opportunity, we moved from Primary to Senior High (Lycée) passing by Junior High (Collège) to assist the English teachers in teaching English Language. Being all teachers and a fortiori having an English master, Amekor Benjamin, among us was a great advantage to teach. We invited students to church and to take up some leadership position. We had a worship with the primary school before departing and planned for other activities to continue when they resume.

D. Other station visitations

We visited other stations near Esse-Ana. By car, motor or bicycle, Christian Wotormenyo and Justin Nougnui went to Kodehoe, Tometykondji, Boevikorpe and Klohome. We helped in the sharing of the Word, preparing the choir and going round to visit some faithful who stopped coming to church. We gathered some couples at Esse-Ana with the aim to facilitate their training for Holy Matrimony.

E. Challenges

The main challenge we came across was the absence of electricity which handicapped some of our activities. The other challenge was the means to reach stations around Esse-Ana. We reached some stations with motor(hired) and bicycle.

F. Readiness for more

This experience brought new aspects of what we did last year in Cape-Coast (Republic of Ghana) which are teaching (our profession) and going outside the main station. We have seen the need for teaching and the need to go out. We hope the subsequent experience will open the way for us to practice our profession and have time and means to reach out more stations.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

Missionary experience at St. Paul Catholic Church of Akonoma, Cape Coast (Republic of Ghana) from 21st December 2020 to 4th January, 2021.

19 February, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

Our chaplain, Rev. Fr. Leopold Adanle, in his zeal to further our formation, suggested to our group to do some days experience in Manigri, Benin. Later on, after the Provincial Council, it was agreed to go for the experience in Cape Coast, Ghana.

We had to leave our families to celebrate Christmas festivities far from our residences. Early the 21st December, 2020, Frank Amenyo and Justin Nougnui started the journey from their various areas to meet Christian Wotormenyo at Accra. From Accra, the three of us took a car for Cape Coast. Cape Coast is about 300 km from our towns. The Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Gnaha came to pick us from the lorry station to our station, St. Paul Catholic Church of Akonoma. The experience was in two aspects, with the Church Community and our CLM Community.

1. Experience with the Church Community

Our service was to revive the Church of Akonoma. We moved from house to house at the quest of the church members who have stopped coming to church. None of the three of us knew Fante, the local language of the area. Two of us could say very few words in Fante. We moved with an interpreter. We had the grace to visit some aged and sick members of the church and also from Akonoma’s community. After the house visitation, we planned meetings with the various societies of the church to form and consolidate them. We enjoyed the festivities of Christmas. On the 24th, 25th, 27th, 31st December, 1st January and 3rd January which were the Christmas vigil, The Christmas day, the feast of the Holy Family, the New year vigil, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the population at church was encouraging. The Rev. Fathers, Bonaventure, Joseph and Anthony came one after the other for the various celebrations. The 31st night, new year vigil, School of Jesus, a society of children exhibited a night performance.

2. CLM community

Monthly, we had a meeting. But for this experience, the three of us had the time to live together.

a. Prayer life

We had our daily schedule. We prayed the Laudes in the morning, read the daily Gospel with a commentary, a Life History of St. Daniel Comboni written by Bernard Ward. After the breakfast, we had our indoor or outdoor activities. At 12:30, we had lunch followed by siesta. In the afternoon we had activities, at 6:30 we prayed the Vespers, ate. Every day before the Night Prayer we reflected upon the day activities and planned for the following day.

b. Division of labour

We cooked ourselves, served the meals and washed the bowls. We fetched water ourselves sometimes, other times, the youth helped us. Each one has a responsibility, Mr. Wotormenyo the team leader, Mr. Amenyo the bursar and Mr. Nougnui the secretary.

c. Vocation promotion

We spoke about the Comboni Family in general when we met some active members of Akonoma. We laid emphasis on CLM, who they are, the requirements to be CLM, the activities of CLM. We did the same thing when we attended the parish Liturgical Committee meeting. We also took the opportunity to visit a group of Friends of Comboni at St. Paul Catholic Church of Nkanfoa. As it is now in our province, being a member of the group of Friends of Comboni is one of the requirements to aspire to CLM. We chatted with the members and encouraged them to move further to CLM. We promised to be in touch with them for the way forward.

d. The neglected

The visit from house to house showed us the reality of the neglected and the abandoned. Some aged and sick persons were a little bit forgotten. In order to continue the Caritative aspect of the Church, we created from the Church Committee the Welfare Committee. Its role is essentially to look for the sick, to find “the lost sheep” and also to assist members who are bereaved.

We are so grateful for the opportunity given to us. We thanked the Provincial Council, our Chaplain, the parish priest of St. Paul Catholic Church of Nkanfoa, the church community of Akonoma for helping us respond to our vocation. This missionary experience strengthened our faith and motivated us to continue our journey on the footsteps of St. Daniel Comboni.

Justin Nougnui, CLM coordinator.