Blog – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Starting over through Prayer

25 June, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

After a period of prayerful discernment and a temporary pause in our journey as Comboni Lay Missionaries of the North American Province (NAP), we are filled with gratitude to announce the renewal of our community. By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are once again gathering with renewed zeal, inspired by the missionary charism of St. Daniel Comboni and his dream of bringing the love of Christ to the most abandoned and forgotten.

As Comboni Lay Missionaries spread throughout the United States and Canada, we have begun meeting monthly through Zoom, allowing us to remain united despite the great distances that separate us. On the first Tuesday of every month, we come together for a Prayer Night; a sacred time to strengthen our communion, nurture our missionary identity, and rekindle the fire of our vocation.

These gatherings provide an opportunity to share how the Lord is working in our lives, to reflect on our experiences serving in international missions, and to encourage one another as missionary disciples. Above all, we gather before the Lord in prayer, entrusting to His Sacred Heart our personal intentions, the needs of the Church, and the cries of our world.

In the spirit of St. Daniel Comboni, whose heart burned with love for the mission, we pray fervently for peace throughout the world, for all missionaries serving near and far, for those who suffer on the margins of society, and for an increase in missionary vocations. We also remember all those who support us through their prayers and friendship.

Our Prayer Night is open to anyone who would like to join us, pray with us, and learn more about the vocation of the Comboni Lay Missionary. It has become a beautiful opportunity not only to deepen our faith but also to share the gift of this missionary calling with others who may be discerning how the Lord is inviting them to serve His Kingdom.

As St. Daniel Comboni taught, “Save Africa with Africa,” reminding us that evangelization is accomplished through participation, accompaniment, and trust in God’s providence. Today, we continue to live this missionary spirit as lay people committed to making Christ known and loved wherever He sends us.

We invite you to journey with us in prayer and mission. May the Holy Spirit continue to guide our renewed community, and may the Heart of Jesus, source of all missionary love, inspire new generations of Comboni Lay Missionaries to respond generously to God’s call.

“Either mission or death” was Comboni’s passionate cry. May we, too, live with hearts fully given to Christ and His mission.

Peace and blessings,

Comboni Lay Missionaries of the North American Province

Missionary Update from Arequipa, Peru

18 June, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

Greetings everyone,

I would like to share a brief update on our missionary journey here in Arequipa, Peru. Since our arrival, we have been actively involved in various parish activities and ministries that continue to enrich our faith and strengthen our commitment to service.

A central aspect of our missionary life is our participation in Holy Mass throughout the week. Through the Eucharist, we are spiritually nourished and receive the grace and strength needed to carry out our mission with joy and dedication.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, we accompany one of the brothers who leads catechism classes for adults preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. It has been a blessing to witness their desire to deepen their relationship with Christ and fully embrace their faith.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, we serve at a daycare center, assisting in the care of two-year-old children and supporting the staff in their daily responsibilities. This ministry has taught us the importance of patience, tenderness, and attentive care for the youngest members of our community.

Every Thursday begins with a retreat and meeting with the priests of the parish. During this time, we pray together, reflect on our missionary experiences, and plan upcoming parish activities. Later in the day, we visit elderly members of the community, ranging in age from 60 to 100 years old. We spend time talking with them, listening to their stories, dancing, and checking on their well-being. These encounters remind us of the value of companionship, respect, and the wisdom that comes with age.

On Friday afternoons, we gather with the youth for moments of fellowship and social interaction. We answer their questions, share our experiences and culture from Kenya, and enjoy recreational activities such as playing volleyball together. These gatherings provide opportunities to build meaningful relationships and encourage young people in their faith journey.

Through all these activities, we continue to grow in our missionary vocation while accompanying and serving the people of Arequipa. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of this community and to witness God’s work in the lives of those we encounter each day.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we strive to be faithful instruments of God’s love and mercy in our mission.

May God bless you abundantly.

Belinda and Claudina, Kenian CLM in Peru

AMANI empowering the poorest and the most abandoned through Kitelakapel integrated community empowerment based organization -BEE keeping project….

15 June, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

Kitelakapel community has 90% of very poor and 10% of middle class consisting mainly teachers and local government officials who earn very poor pay and a few commercial farmers who suffer hot dry weather.

Kitelakapel is under kacheliba Parish-Kenya has 17 villages and 17 elders with a chief who works closely to see on the wellbeing of the people of the community through the Kitelakapel integrated Community Empowerment- Organization and projects, 175 members officially applied and joined the CBO to work together for their community and family households and we still receiving more applicants willing to join the group. The group was formed to empower the local people, the people love unity and self-support groups through which they are able get opportunities, save money, participate in economic activities like farming of animals, plants, Poultry, bee keeping, Mama Mbonga, market trading and other socio-economic activities and with support from AMANI international we are seeing good fruits and testimonies from local communities.

Special gratitude to AMANI….

AMANI is a Kiswahili word that means peace in the Kenyan language…. the more you empower the poor the more you achieve a peaceful and prosperous society.

We are delighted to announce the launch of a new beekeeping project implemented by kitelakapel in konyao, It was amazing and exciting to see the bees on our first day of installation of the bee hives . In the beginning of the project we started with identification and survay of land to start the bee keeping project after several meeetings with the KICE CBO board members ,Comboni Lay missionaries and parish MCCJ ,we agreed to take on 3 acres of land in konyoa town which land belongs to MCCJ kacheliba parish as per the memorum of understanding on the usage of the land and the value of the CBO Bee farming project.

With the donation from AMANI, We finally set up 50 bee hives and fenced them on 3acres of land in konyao –west pokot one hour drive from kitelakape village.

We managed to find support from the officer in charge of Bee farming from the county government ministry of agriculture West Pokot (Mrs Francisca) who guided us on how to fix them and attract bees.

A few local men where hired to carpentery, welding ,construction of the fence and clearing of the land,women breaking small stones for the fence while others making of the bee hives and others installing the bee hives in way they got temporary work and earned some little money to look after their families.We are lucky to also have the host family John Bosco the catetist of a charpel in the area of konyao who helped us with storage of the materials and bee hives and provied us some food during our visits to the beekeeping farm.

The project is being carried out with support of the local agricultural authorities and the community members. Our goal is not only to produce honey but also to create employment opportunities, support local development and promote environmentally friendly practices of Laudato Si.

ASANTE SANA (Thank you very much)…. AMANI from Kitelakapel integrated community Empowerment Community Based Organization and the people.

CLM community of Kitelakapel, Kenya

Message of the General Council for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

12 June, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

Rome, 12 June 2026 – Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Dear confrères,

On the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we are invited to return to the source of our vocation and mission. By contemplating the pierced Heart of the Good Shepherd, we recognise God’s immeasurable love for humanity: a love that becomes closeness, compassion, mercy, and the total gift of self.

The Heart of Jesus is not merely a symbol of our faith; it is the place where we learn God’s way of loving and the criterion by which we discern our missionary life. In it, we discover a love that excludes no one, that allows itself to be wounded by the suffering of the world, and that continues to seek those who are lost, forgotten, or cast aside.

Saint Daniel Comboni found in the Heart of Christ the secret of his missionary passion. From that contemplation was born his love for the most abandoned peoples and his ability to share their history until he truly felt them to be his brothers and sisters. For us too, “sons” of so great an Apostle of Africa, mission finds its origin and renewal in allowing ourselves to be shaped by the Heart of Jesus, so that our outlook, our choices, and our relationships may increasingly reflect his sentiments.

Pope Francis reminded us that “the Heart of Christ, which symbolises his personal centre from which his love for us flows, is the living core of the first proclamation” (Dilexit Nos, 32). Only by remaining united to this centre can we prevent mission from being reduced to efficiency, organisation, or mere activity. Before being workers, we are disciples; before speaking about Christ, we are called to allow ourselves to be transformed by his love.

We live in a world marked by deep wounds. Wars, violence, inequalities, forced migrations, and both old and new forms of poverty continue to affect millions of people. Many men and women seek hope, a listening ear, and dignity; many young people search for a future; numerous communities live in situations of fragility and uncertainty. Faced with these realities, the temptation of indifference or resignation is always lurking.

The Heart of Christ, however, calls us to courageous closeness. It invites us not to pass by, not to shut ourselves within our securities, but to share the lives of the peoples to whom we are sent. Mission is born precisely from this movement of the heart: going out of ourselves to encounter the other, recognising him or her as a brother or sister loved by God. By giving priority to the least, the most marginalised, and the poorest, to the point of longing, in the words of Daniel Comboni, to hold in our arms and give a kiss of peace and love to those unfortunate brothers and sisters of ours (cf. Writings, 2742). Yes, as Comboni missionaries, we are called to be a sign of this love that welcomes and reconciles, that creates fraternity and generates hope on the peripheries of the world.

Our presence in the various Churches and among the different peoples of the world gains credibility when it becomes a witness of communion, especially within our international and intercultural communities. The diversity of our origins is not an obstacle to mission but one of its most eloquent signs: the Gospel can unite what the world so often divides.

On this feast, therefore, let us ask for the grace of a missionary heart, capable of compassion, listening, and closeness; a heart free from every form of closure and willing to be troubled by the sufferings of the poorest and most abandoned; a heart able to recognise the presence of God in the human and existential peripheries of our time.

We entrust to the Sacred Heart of Jesus our Institute, the communities in which we live, the peoples whom we serve, and all those whom we carry in prayer and in our daily work. May this Heart renew within us the joy of the Gospel, rekindle the fire of mission, and make us credible witnesses of his love in the world.

With fraternal affection, we wish you a holy and joyful Feast.

The MCCJ General Council

CLM Kenya Members’ Meeting

11 June, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

From June 4–8, a meeting of CLM Kenya members took place in Kitelakapel. It was a special time of reflection, prayer, and planning for the future of our community.

During the meeting, we reviewed the development of CLM over the past six months and reflected on the direction we should take moving forward. Together, we discussed our strengths, challenges, and opportunities for further growth and service. Each day began with Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Joseph, during which we entrusted our plans, activities, and intentions to God. The gathering was also an excellent opportunity to strengthen our relationships, share experiences, and build community.

A particularly important event during our stay was the celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi on June 7. CLM members participated in the solemn Eucharistic procession in Kitelakapel. The Holy Mass was celebrated by Fr. Joseph, who reminded us in his homily of the importance of the Eucharist as a source of unity, love, and strength for every Christian. It was a special time of prayer and a public witness to our faith.

After Holy Mass, the faithful took part in the procession with the Blessed Sacrament, honoring Christ truly present in the Eucharist. CLM members actively assisted in the preparation and organization of the celebration and helped throughout the entire event.

This beautiful feast brought together many parishioners, children, and young people, demonstrating the living faith of our community. It was also a special moment of unity, joy, and gratitude for the gift of Jesus’ presence among us.

On Monday, after Holy Mass and breakfast, we departed for our homes, taking with us new inspiration, spiritual encouragement, and renewed motivation to continue serving others.

We thank everyone for their presence, commitment, and the time we shared together. May Christ present in the Eucharist continue to guide and strengthen us in our daily lives and in our mission as

CLM Kenya