Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Missionary joy

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The June monthly meeting of the CLMs of Mexico DF It was held in the house of the Comboni Missionaries in Cuernavaca. A beautiful and quiet place next to the famous devil´s alley. Yes, you read that correctly, the devil. According to the legend, more than five centuries ago, the intrusive devil helped to jump Hernán Cortés on his horse Rucio, a ravine five meters long for safekeeping of tlahuicas ancestors who closely followed his footsteps to kill him.

Juanita, CLM for several years and frequent visitor of the seminar for many others, was in charge of preparations for our arrival. The reception was warm although a little rainy, which did not stop performing activities under an atmosphere of friendship and joy. In the morning, we did the prayer of Lauds. The main theme for those who came to know the group was the action of the laity in the church. And in the afternoon Father Joseph Infante, brother of Pedro Infante, as he presents always with a big smile, shared with us the devotion to the Sacred heart of Jesus who lived St. Daniel Comboni and how he trusted that divine heart all his projects and concerns. In the evening, we had the celebration of the Eucharist and in our prayers we do not forget all the Comboni family, absent CLMs, and the election of the following day.

On Sunday, some had to leave early. Others took a little walk around the cathedral, where indeed we received the blessing of Bishop Ramon Castro for all CLM Group. So our meeting this month invited us to advance in prayer, sacrifice and keep walking united by the mission, encouraging one another. Thank God for his presence.

CLM México

Contrasts

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Since I came to Ethiopia still surprises me how full of contrasts is this place … In the past few days I had two such experiences about it. On Sunday, I was invited by my friend to the graduation of kinder garden of her son. They make a great party and it looks almost like a graduation of the university! The kids presenting what they had learned (mostly in English – whether it be a song, or counting, or alphabet …), then dressed in special clothes, received a certificate of completion of kindergarten. Overall for me it was so funny, especially seeing how seriously people treat it 😉

And yesterday evening I went with the Salesians for the night outing. These are meetings on the street with the boys living there and thinking about going to join the project and try to change their lives, go back to their family, to school, to the society. In Addis Abeba there is enormous number of children living on the street, every day they are encountered at every step. But this meeting in the evening, when the streets were far more empty than usual, with children (some of them even 7-8 years old!), The majority of which was carrying and inhaling glue (because it allows them not feel hunger, cold, pain, etc.), it was incredibly striking. While having before my eyes image of their peers who two days ago graduated kindergarten, who are studying, who have family, who have a house…

Magda Plekan

Retreat of the Comboni Lay Missionaries of Bologna and Florence

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LMC Italia

Accompanied by Fr. Giorgio Padovan (standing in the photo), Comboni Missionary recently arrived from Brazil, about twenty Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) of Bologna and Florence met on 13 and 14 of June, in the house of Pax Christi in Florence, to pray and reflect together on the theme “Disciples, missionaries and Combonis in the path”. These days, according to some lay people, “encouraged some of us to share, to continue the missionary journey with more enthusiasm and joy, and to renew our heart, sometimes tired and wounded.”

The joy and beauty of being Christians and missionaries is the phrase that can summarize what has been lived in this two-day retreat in Florence. Guided by the motto “Disciples, missionaries and Combonis in the path”, the image of the path accompanied the laity in the reflections, sharing and prayer. A path that is not easy, they said, because sometimes it is uphill and very tired, but gives “sense and taste to our life and vocation.”

LMC ItaliaFr. Giorgio Padovan, who returned a few months ago from the mission in Brazil, helped the group with simplicity, to deepen from the standpoint of the missionary, the path of laity, the baptismal vocation, personal decisions, the love to the mission and the Comboni charism.

“The thoughts and shared experiences – comment the laity – encouraged some of us to go forward, to continue the missionary journey with more enthusiasm and joy, and to renew our heart, sometimes tired and wounded. The seeds were sown for each CLM group to program with renewed creativity, the way to follow in the next year”.

How to be CLM where we live and work? How to be Christians and missionaries in the world of migration, among the excluded, through our commitment in the activities of justice and peace? in parishes and some missionary churches closed and afraid to go out? These are some of the questions that the Bologna and Florence CLM tried to answer, so they can return home enlightened and willing to make a “good missionary journey”.

LMC Italia Bologna and Florence CLM

CLM aspirants in Ghana reflect upon the faith of Comboni

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Ghana

As agreed at our last meeting in Abor, this 13th June, we met at Dadome, an outstation of Mafi-Kumase. This time, the theme of reflection is “the Faith of Comboni”.

Comboni is said to be of multifaiths. He has faith in God, in his vocation, in the Church, in his Institution. But at the top of all is his faith in God in which the rest come out. He has a doubt at the beginning about leaving his parents. But when confirmed by his spiritual director about the truthfulness and clarity of his vocation, he went straight forward. In his zeal to evangelize Africa, he went to the Pope Pius the IXth and even rectified a wrong conception on Africans. His faith in the Church pushed him to say: “Whatever displeases the Church displeases me.” He went forth declaring:” I have sold my will…I am totally obedient to the Church.” Though he was so engaged in the mission in Africa, he was ready to leave it if the Church ordered it. Comboni received his strength in prayer. He said: “Without prayer, we die.” His time of prayer was also spent for mortification. Comboni has a pragmatic understanding of faith because he thought that “faith is an antidote against slavery.”

After this discussion, we went on to think about few issues. The first is about our presence in the Board of Trustees of In My Father’s House, a Combonian Institution witnessing the Good News to the poor and vulnerable. The second one is the creation of a Vocational Center in the same Institution. We postponed any decision making on these two issues for our coming meeting on the 11th July at Abor.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

Iron ore, journey with no return

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Brasil“Iron ore, journey with no return: from the Brazilian Amazon to the German automakers” is the title of a film production sponsored by “Justice on Rails Network” and financed by Misereor, a German Catholic Bishops organization, which for over 50 years has been committed to eradicate poverty in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The production describes in 28 minutes the daily life of the communities affected by the Programa Grande Carajás (Great Carajás Programme), the world’s largest iron ore mining project in the Brazilian states of Maranhão and Pará.

Misereor supports projects developed by the Justice on Rails Network [Rede Justiça nos Trilhos], a coalition of communities affected by mining projects in northern Brazil, organizations, pastoral groups, social movements and academic research groups seeking environmental justice in the region.

The documentary reflects on the process of extraction and exportation of iron ore from the Serra de Carajas (Sierra de Carajás), State of Pará, to the harbour of Saint Luís, State of Maranhão. A hundred communities, approximately, suffer various impacts caused by this process, such as evictions of families from their land, pollution, accidents, etc.

Over 50% of Germany’s iron ore imports come from Brazil, but the auto companies are not seeking to verify if raw materials for their production carry with them a trail of human rights abuses, and environmental injustice.

This documentary raises questions and provokes joint action strategies in the steel product