On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, we arrived at the Santa Terezinha Mission House of the Comboni Lay Missionaries, a missionary presence in the Ipê Amarelo neighborhood of Contagem, in the state of Minas Gerais, where we were welcomed by Ana Cris, Alejandro, and their family, Comboni Lay Missionaries from Guatemala.
The following day, we began our in-person formation session with the Palm Sunday procession, starting from the Nossa Senhora Aparecida community in Ipê Amarelo and proceeding to the São Judas community (about 2.5 km away), where Mass was celebrated, bringing together all 10 communities of the São Domingos de Gusmão Parish.
We gathered as Comboni Family, welcomed by the Mccj community present in the region, learning a bit more about the region’s history and the Comboni presence, and renewing old friendships.
Another memorable moment was gathering at the Comboni Justice and Peace House to meet with the Comboni Spirituality Group (GEC), and following a prayer session beautifully led by members of the GEC Contagem, we shared our lives and missionary experiences, both here and beyond borders, for, from the moment of our baptism, we are all missionaries and called to act at the frontiers where we are.
Fr. Rafael reminded us that “from the dimension of mission rooted in the Comboni charism, we rediscover the need to be true communities”—to work together in the spirit of the Cenacle of the Apostles, the Comboni identity of serving in a mission.
Because we love one another
Comboni had Christ in his heart and saw Christ in other countries.
May we love the mission, the poorest, and be steadfast in the call God has for each of us: to live united and happy.
CLM 2026/2027 Itinerary Group
