Alberto de la Portilla

With a renewed missionary spirit, we concluded the Assembly of the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) held in Maia, Portugal. This meeting was an opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing our community and to renew our commitment to the mission entrusted to us by St. Daniel Comboni. During these days, we have addressed, among other issues, the economic challenges we face as a community, our missionary methodology, the revision of our governance structure and our responsibility towards the international missions.

In a world with great inequalities, it is crucial to manage resources in a responsible way, guaranteeing the sustainability of our missionary activities. In this regard, the Assembly stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the use of funds. It also stressed the importance of diversifying our sources of financing and exploring new strategies that allow us to improve our finances to put them at the service of the mission.

Financial sustainability depends not only on external resources, but also on the creativity and commitment of CLM members. We are committed to actively engage in the planning and execution of initiatives that will ensure the long-term financial stability of our mission.

Mission should not be limited to evangelism, but should be a holistic process that promotes spiritual and human well-being. In an increasingly diverse world, we must work closely with local communities, empowering them to be protagonists in their own process of change.

It was emphasized that our mission must address not only spiritual needs, but also social, economic and justice issues. As Comboni Lay Missionaries, our commitment is to be active witnesses of the Gospel and from our example of life, to work for human dignity and social justice.

The revision of the governance structure was also a central theme. In a globalized context, we need a flexible organization that allows for good coordination and encourages the active participation of all members in decision-making. It was proposed to have an inverse pyramid organization chart, which contemplates the general assembly as the highest governing body, in the same way, from this general assembly, the country committees are formed, which are unified continentally in a single committee to be grouped into a single central committee; this central committee is accompanied, as an advisor, by a member of the MCCJ.

The CLM must be co-responsible with the international missions where poverty and social injustices are most evident. This commitment involves not only material support, but also spiritual and formative support. Collaboration with other organizations and support networks is essential to maximize the impact of our mission.

At the conclusion of this Assembly, we renewed our commitment to the mission of the Comboni Lay Missionaries. We feel more united and strengthened in our vocation, guided by the example of St. Daniel Comboni. We move forward with hope, courage and a strong sense of solidarity and justice, committed to the poorest and most needy.

As in all the country meetings, our assembly concluded with an integration meeting in which each country shared the best of its joy, with dances, typical food and drinks of the region, we joyfully exchanged part of ourselves and what characterizes us as one family; the most respectful, joyful and delightful closing of an assembly that unites us.

May the Holy Spirit continue to enlighten our path and may our mission continue to be faithful to the charism of St. Daniel Comboni.

All together for the mission!

Felipe Mora, CLM Colombia

From December 9 to 15, 2024, the VII General Assembly of the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) was held at the Comboni Community House in Maia. The theme of the assembly was “All together for the mission!”.

The 29 participants – 20 CLM and 9 Comboni Missionaries – came from 16 countries from three continents: Africa (9), America (9) and Europe (11). Alberto de la Portilla (Spain) and Marco Piccione (Italy), as well as Fr. Arlindo Pinto (Rome), the CLM General Council reference person.

The morning of the first day was dedicated to prayer. Father Fernando Domingues, Provincial Superior of Portugal, presided at the opening Mass.

On Wednesday 11, an online meeting was held with the representatives of the General Councils of the Comboni Family. On Thursday afternoon, the participants went on pilgrimage to the Marian Sanctuary of Fatima. On Tuesday and Friday, testimonies were heard online from CLM working in international communities, in Mozambique, Kenya, Central African Republic, Peru and Brazil.

The main topics discussed during the Assembly were: the presentation of the path followed by each CLM group in the different countries during the last six years, at all levels (formation, mission, economy and organization) and the reflection and approval of the CLM statute, which will be presented to the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life at the Vatican. The last two days were dedicated to deepen the common responsibility for the mission, especially the mission outside our borders, as well as the Missionary Methodology document that reflects on spirituality, lifestyle and model of CLM intervention.

On Saturday 14, the members of the new Central Committee that will coordinate the CLM for the next six years were elected: Flavio Schmidt, from Brazil, Mukami Anne Mutheede, from Kenya, Anna Obyrtacz, from Poland, and Alberto de la Portilla, from Spain, who was re-elected, and who will also continue to be the general coordinator. Father Arlindo Pinto will continue in his position as MCCJ General Council referent.

Alberto, in the message he addressed to the CLM and the whole Comboni Family, underlined the hopes that are born from this new assembly: “an assembly that we hope will help us to mature and deepen our vocation in every corner of the world, and to acquire responsibility in our journey of autonomy at all levels”. Regarding his re-election, he added: “I hope that it will not only be a service of continuity, but a consolidation of the important aspects and advances that we need as an international movement. The real protagonists are each and every CLM, each and every one of our communities and groups, listening to and at the disposal of the Holy Spirit’.

The work concluded on Saturday afternoon, December 14, with a Mass presided by Father David Domingues, Vicar General. The following day, Third Sunday of Advent and International CLM Day, Father David also presided the Mass in the presence of the participants in the assembly, together with the people of God, in the chapel of Maia House.

Original: https://www.comboni.org/contenuti/116578

The second day of the VII International Assembly of the CLM movement has been dedicated to the report of the Central Committee (CC), presented by Alberto (Spain), as head of the CC, a small structure that we created to promote the movement at an international level, to follow up on the agreements reached in the different international meetings. Thanks to having a person ready for this, many tasks can be carried out, and we must be patient to match the rhythm of the Central Committee with that of the different countries. The person in charge of the Central Committee also represents the LMC in meetings of the rest of the Comboni Family, allowing fluid communication that favors the valorization of the LMC movement. And of course, accompany the coordinating teams of the different countries and continental committees, and share the initiatives and paths of the different countries to learn and walk together.

Currently we are 450 LMCs in 21 countries. A great challenge is that, although in the last 6 years we have sent 41 LMC to international missions, only 16 LMC are currently in our 5 international missions, even though that is one of the priorities that is part of our identity. In this sense we recognize the need for accompaniment throughout life to sustain our missionary vocation. Likewise, we need to be clear about our missionary proposal to be able to offer it to those who come with interest in learning about this vocation. We need, like Comboni, people and economic resources. Strengthen missionary animation and, regarding the economy, feel the needs of other countries as our own while we do not stop seeking economic resources in our own countries. We are inspired by the dream of St. Daniel Comboni, who looked beyond the difficulties of each moment, without ceasing to be realistic, putting the needs of the mission at the center. Utopia always helps us walk.

Another important task of the CC is to accompany the international communities, remembering that the countries that send LMC abroad are co-responsible for this support. In this period since the Rome Assembly, JPIC has taken important steps, with work on ministeriality and the publication of two books of reflection on the matter. We recognize JPIC as an area of special interest for the laity.

In a movement with fragilities, lack of people and resources, taking care of spirituality is especially necessary as support and foundation. The CC report also especially reminds us of the need to reflect in each country on how it contributes financially to the International Common Fund. Currently more than 40% of our resources come from the MCCJ.

After sharing the report of the Central Committee, we have also had the opportunity to review how we have been progressing in the implementation of the agreements made in the previous Assembly held in Rome in 2018, collected in 96 proposals. Among so many issues, we can point out that we have advanced along the path, still needing to go deeper. We highlight the creation of the International Training Guide and the International Communication Guide, as a service to the different national LMC movements.

In the afternoon, we reviewed the process of ecclesiastical recognition as an International Association of the Faithful, discussing the draft Statutes of the International LMC Movement. Alberto highlighted that achieving this recognition will be a long-sought objective and will mean significant differences. The ultimate responsibility of the CLM movement will be for the CLM themselves, in their different international and national structures. We must become aware of this. However, the statutes will not be new, they will not include anything that is not already included in previous international agreements. It is therefore a qualitative difference. In the evening we always had a special moment, such as reviewing the different international communities, with the opportunity to have a brief video call with the communities of Acailandia-Piquia (Brazil), Mongumba (Central African Republic) and Carapira (Mozambique)[i]. This pleasant online moment closed with this message from Federica from Carapira: Every day we pray for you, so that the Lord Jesus has space in our open hearts and Ana from Piquiá: the desire to continue upon returning to Europe supporting the realities that are knowing in his ad gentes stage.

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[i] In addition international communities, we currently have Arequipa (Peru) and Kitelakapel (Kenya).