Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Comboni Simposium- Concrete proposals for Apostolic Action Plan in view of the General Chapter XVIII

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Susana

After a week of work from the Comboni Plan up to the reflection on the mission today, we wanted to make a synthesis of the work done, trying to reach conclusions unanimously accepted by the participants.

Thus, for groups, elaborate concrete proposals for the Comboni mission today. These were discussed in plenary in order to reach an apostolic action plan consistent with both the urgency of the mission and the Comboni identity.

In the afternoon, participants reflected and proposed certain aspects to be taken as a contribution to the General Chapter XVIII.

At the end of this week, remains a shout in the heart of each of us: We are missionaries “to give life and life in abundance.”

Susana y P Enrique

Susana Vilas Boas

Workshop on Comboni-From the Plan´s insights to the reality we face today

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P Joaquim Valente“I would rather have a hurt church, marked by the signs of walking with the people, than a hurt church because it is closed in the comfort zone trying to hold on to its own securities” (EG, 49). With these wise words of Pope Francis, we began our 4º day.

For today our aim is to summarize the intuitions of these days, and so, the commission presented us with for main topics for reflexion:

1)      Mission perspective: in Comboni´s time and in our days

2)      Mission style: in Comboni´s time and in in our days

3)      Ministries and formation: in Comboni´s time and in in our days

4)      Our own mission in the local church: in Comboni´s time and in our days

After the reflexion at a personal level and the groups discussion, took place the plenary assembly. We try to perceive what we have to change in our way of being today as missionaries, so that we can answer the Popes ‘challenge: we are all hurt but we are willing pursue the long road so that Christ will be known by all peoples and they may have life to the full.

Susana Vilas Boas

Comboni workshop-The reality of the Congregation of the Comboni Misssionaries today

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P EnriqueThis third day began, with the words of St. Paul to the Corinthians: “Love will never end” (1 Cor 13,8). These words were the starting point for the topic of the day started by the Superior General of The MCCJ – Fr Enrique Sanchez, who presented his view on the Plan and the reality of the Comboni Missionaries today. From these reflections, some clues about the reality of the mission of the MCCJ in our days emerged, and we can summarize them in three points: mission – as in the Plano of Comboni, mission is at the centre (heart) of our vocation and missionary life; resize – the urgency that today we need for the Institute due to social, ecclesial change (morphology) in the reality. The number decreases and in a few years’ time, 90% of the MCCJ will be Africans; interculturality – the reality that calls us to a change in our way of thinking and actions.

These three basic words expressing our reality were the starting point for the group´s discussion. After that, we had our discussion on the priorities emerging from the Comboni Missionaries challenges today, and these activities were conducted Oriented) by Fr. Antonio Villarino.

Susana Vilas Boas

Comboni Symposium-The spirit of the Plan and the challenge of the African mission in 800

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simposium

On this second day, the Comboni symposium focused on the Plan of Comboni, from the context it was written to the application and understanding in our current context.

To help in this reflection, Fr Joaquim Valente (MCCJ) helped all participants, presenting and contextualizing, in yesterday and today, the cardinal points of the Plan of Comboni and throwing some challenges for us that the Plan places.

In fact, Comboni acknowledges that it does not work, recognizes that he doesn´t known the solution, acknowledges that he is not and neither has the solution for the regeneration of Africa, recognizes that we should ​​listen to God, and only God is and has the solution.

Comboni is open to the new movements of the Spirit acting into reality and in human history. Meanwhile, traveling to Europe and learning from the experiences of all who work for the mission. With all these testimonies and all this learning, Comboni aims to “unite all things in Christ.”

In turn, the P. Johnson Uchenna Ozioko (priest from Nigeria), helped us make a reading of the Plan of Comboni from Africa today, calling attention especially of the current importance of “saving Africa with Africa” as well as the importance and urgency of changing the language we use to talk about the mission and Africans.

Meanwhile, according to their specificity, the sister. Fernanda Cristinelli (CMS) briefly presented a reflection on this topic, made by the Comboni Missionary Sisters, underlining the significance and urgency of change ministeriality of being and living the missionary spirit in feminine.

At the end of the day, remains at the heart of each participant the final words uttered by P. Johnson Uchenna Ozioko: Jesus washes the feet of his disciples and said to them, “Go and do the same.” Comboni loved Africa, I say: “Go and do the same.”

Susana Vilas Boas

MCCJ Workshop on the “Plan of Comboni”

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Misa en S Pedro

The world of today, its missionary urgency and the challenges of the Comboni mission.

Started today, the work of reflection on the 150th anniversary of the Comboni Plan for the regeneration of Africa. From all over the world came representatives of the various provinces of the Comboni Missionaries (MCCJ) and are present representatives of the Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS), Secular Comboni Missionaries (SCM) and Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM).

The day began with the Eucharist at the tomb of St. Peter, where Comboni received the inspiration of the Plan. However, this symposium / workshop, as remember Fr Enrique Sánchez (Superior General of MCCJ) in his homily, is not intended to “contemplate” the Plan of Comboni, however, starting from him, aims to reflect and give thanks to God for the fact that this plan has been since the days of Comboni. Today, we must search for the actuality of the Comboni´s Plan, understanding how it applies and leads us in our missionary vocation. To do this, warned Father Mariano Tibaldo (MCCJ) we must find the priorities nowadays and how – in our days – we may live the challenges of this Plan.

The reflection began with brother Enzo Biemmi presented the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium as a provocation of the present Pope Francisco, which especially fits the Comboni Plan in relation to the way in which Comboni conceived the missionary vocation.

In fact, today, we must abandon preconceptions about the missionary who has to evangelize the “others”. We need awareness and missionary conscience that is based on the conversion of the missionary himself (herself). Only the missionary encounter with Christ makes him (her) explicitly and implicitly proclaim the Gospel in all circumstances. It is not therefore an announcement out, but the manifestation of the joy of the encounter with Christ which is manifested in the life of the missionary. We must therefore be aware that without a conversion of the missionary there is no announcement, because without this experience of grace, you cannot get to the heart of man (woman), and in which the Spirit dwells.

Indeed, the first point and the origin of the missionary life and the evangelization is to recognize the presence of God in the other person, thus giving a new style to the mission. This was the modus operandi of Christ, that everything that made makes reference to the will of the Father and / or the faith that saves the one who seeks to save himself (herself).

In this context, Father Mariano Tibaldo (MCCJ) spoke of the urgent problems of the missionary life. Emergencies, these, which are not tied to a geographical location, but must respond, in fact, the demands of evangelization today. It was precisely this question that the participants, in working groups, reflected and were able to share the conclusions with others in the plenary.

Susana Vilas Boas