Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Report of the pacific march held by Christians in Kinshasa 21-01-2018

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marchacongo

In Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the peaceful march of the Christians was organized on January 19th by the coordinating committee of the catholic laity, for Sunday, January 21st, 2018. By this march, we demanded the government the unfailing application of the agreement of New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2016 as well as the respect of the constitution, pledge stability and national cohesion.

On Sunday, January 21, 2018, when we arrived in our parishes, we saw the strong presence of the Rapid Intervention Police (PIR) encircling our parishes. They were numerous and heavily armed.

At the end of Mass around 09:30 or 10, we started our peaceful march, they tried to disperse us from the first steps made in front of the door of our churches using tear gas and a real bullets… There were some wounded, one of the mates died on the floor after receiving two bullets on the breasts.   We were on the ground holding Rosaries, Bibles, crucifixes and twigs.   15 minutes later we were standing up to take the wounded to the emergency room.   In this huge crowd, facing our executioners, who was able to stand up, dusted our clothes and then continue walking.

There were police roadblocks everywhere at each roadblock, the violence and brutality were stronger, after 45 minutes of walking the police made a barrier in front of us pushing us to turn back, we sang hymns and the priest who was heading the crowd asked the faithful to kneel and pray the Magnificat. In this precise moment, when we all knee on the ground the police began to shoot and throw tear gas in these torrents of smoking they went against the priests, the acolytes and the young people who interfered to this arrest.

And during this time, in our parishes the priests had advised against the participation in walking to people who were very old or weak by illness or other reason as well as children.   They were supposed to pray a little while for those who were going to walk and get back home. However, the police imprisoned all these people in the parish; they forcibly closed from the outside all the doors of the parish obliging Christians to stayed in until 13:00.   All these weak people have remained more than 6 hours in the enclosure of the parish without water or food.

On the return of the faithful at the parish to close the march, we have found the Christians close in their own parish. When we attempted to break the padlocks set by the police, not only to release those who were in but also to entered and make the final prayer, the policemen started to shoot and abused the youths, there was a great clash for nearly 30 minutes. Then people would run in all directions always under police fire, trying to follow up on those who were arrested, those who were taken home injured, others were wounded and taken to hospitals… The day was restless until 4 pm and after it was cold and anguished, around 7 pm they removed their barriers.

First session of FEC Formation – Mission Volunteering and Spirituality

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Portugal“Mission Volunteering and Spirituality” was the theme of the first formation session of the volunteers of FEC (Faith and Cooperation Foundation), held on January 13-14, 2018 at the Casa de Salud of Telhal, Sintra. Some CLM attended. Here we give you the witness of Ana Raposo, who attended this FEC formation session.

In this first meeting of FEC we discussed the theme of the “Joy of the Gospel,” with Pope Francis as our mentor. The joy of the Gospel calls us to be a Church on the move to protect our common home, a Church that looks at the world with joy, love and praise while promoting the common good and the care of our neighbor. It calls us to look within ourselves, to discover a “you” that turns into me, having as a mission to accept the will of God and lead to God who is already here, to light the flame.

This joy, this love, was lived during this weekend in the formation and in the Sunday homily. It was the splendor and joy that emanated from the pastor and his assistants in spite of their limitations and from the moderator, Juan Antonio, who made us look from different points of view as he was clarifying some of our doubts.

God the giver of love, Jesus the loved one, the Holy Spirit is love.

God is Love, Joy!

Ana Raposo

Departure of the CLM Cristina Sousa for the CAR

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LMC PortugalThis afternoon our Cristina left for the mission of Mongoumba, in the Republic of Central Africa (CAR) where she will join the current local CLM community made up of María Augusta from Portugal, Anna from Poland and Simone from Italy.

As it was expected, it was a time of strong emotions, where we experienced a mixture of bureaucratic concerns such luggage overweight and the natural interior turmoils caused by the parting from family and friends for a long period of time, two years in this case.

Looking at Cristina say her good-byes and reaching the escalator that would cut our contact with her, I clearly felt that our mutual visual contacts were being stretched and almost hugged, as if to stay connected one more instant, but the escalator moved up and Cristina was gone.

On the way home I was still impacted by that scene, as if I had not had other occasions to witness departures that were just as emotional, and I was thinking of what type of strength was at the top of that escalator that could draw Cristina more strongly than our desire to be together just a little longer.

Looking into my own self, I believe that the answer can only be Jesus.

Jesus is the one who interiorly calls us to leave everything and follow him wherever he wants.

Jesus is the one who always wants to give the Good News especially to the poor and, by doing it through us, challenges us and involves us in an ever deeper encounter with Himself.

This decision to leave may seem to be selfish to some. But it is not.

This decision comes from a listening attitude bringing out an imperative of conscience that makes us do what we must do.

He is the one who calls us!

The pain of separation from family and friends proves that we are not dealing with a selfish decision, but rather with an altruistic one, greater than us.

And for those of us who are left behind, notwithstanding our sense of loss, we are happy because we see our loved ones live life to the full… replenished with meaning.

We will fully be part of this mission by our prayers, by the longing and the support we will give to the decision, even if at times we will not understand it.

I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for the witness of Cristina and her family, and for all the CLM and families who go through the airport, thus showing by their lives that the Spirit keeps on blowing where it wishes and impacting our small lives so busy in the daily grind.

A strong hug to all.

Until we meet again, Cristina!

CLM Pedro Moreira

Christmas Meeting: From the Family of Nazareth to the Family of the CLM

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LMC PortugalThe Christmas meeting of the Comboni Lay Missionaries took place on December 16 and 17 in Viseu, at the Comboni Missionaries’ house. The theme was “From the Family of Nazareth to the Family of the CLM.” Several CLM attended together with those in formation. It was a meeting marked by joy and by a family atmosphere, a Comboni family and a CLM family. It was a family gathered around a single ideal – namely, Christ – and the same Comboni charism.

On Saturday morning, the CLM Sandra Fagundez gave a presentation on San Daniel Comboni and the movement. Following that, we played a game that gave us the opportunity to discover more about the Comboni Family, the meaning of Christmas, Christmas in mission… as we continued reflecting and praying on the different meditation points. It was an experience of dialogue, of sharing that enriched us and brought into focus in prayer realities distant from our eyes and the entire Comboni family.

The afternoon brought us another surprise. By groups, we had the opportunity to: talk about Christmas in mission and their life experience with the elderly Comboni Missionaries who live in the house of Viseu; converse with the Comboni Missionary Sisters at their home on what characterize the various Christmas celebrations they spent in mission; and, at the family home of the CLM Marisa Almeida, to talk and share with a family which is also part of the CLM family, because with us it shares and lives the dedication and affection to mission. It was an afternoon when we were questioned and challenged by the many witnesses of lives fully lived and dedicated to mission.

LMC PortugalAfter prayer and supper, we had a party where, once more, we shared fun, laughter, jokes and music (and where Fr. Felix delighted us with his accordion). We also exchanged gifts! Once again, it was a time of unity, during this happy and genuine time together, with the CLM family and the Comboni family at large.

On Sunday, The CLM Susana Vilas Boas gave a presentation on the theme of “From the Family of Nazareth to the CLM family” starting with a reflection and ending with a sharing. From the morning session I remember the idea of journey. The CLM is on a journey, as Comboni would say, with their eyes fixed on Christ – because only this way does the journey have meaning. This is in order to follow the example of the family of Nazareth: the unity of Mary and Joseph, its humble service to Jesus, its desire to fulfill the will of God and the total dedication to his will must be the example for the CLM family, so that it may fulfill the dream that God has for it, and continue on a journey of growth in order to serve in mission according to the style of St. Daniel Comboni.

The Christmas meeting ended with the Eucharist with Fr. Francisco Medeiros as the main celebrant and with the joy of having with us at lunch the family of the CLM Neuza Francisco.

This is the word I was looking for to sum up the Christmas meeting of the CLM: family. In prayer, sharing, being together, listening, this meeting has awakened in each one of us the notion that we belong to something bigger than ourselves, a spiritual family that accepts us and challenges to improve, to do and live our mission in the style of Comboni, with our eyes fixed on Christ, passionate about Him and about people.

LMC Portugal
Filipe Oliveira

News from Kinshasa

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Congo

We leave here an email from Congo about the current situation in the country.

Good evening Alberto,

I did not follow up on the document I requested and I did not call you back because here the weekend of the 31st it was complicated for the Catholics because of the march of the laity against the political situation of the country.

In our parish during the 6 o’clock mass at which I participated, the soldiers entered the church at 7 am just at the time of the homily. They threw tear gas and put themselves in front of the exits of the church then shot with real ammunition. We were trapped in the church for 30 minutes. Then the priests organize themselves to keep us safe in the sacristy.

Then an hour after the priest took over the mass. We ended around 11am then we started our walk, despite the situation.

At every barrier we passed, the police tried to intimidate us with brutality to try to disperse us. When they got close, we knelt or threw to the floor and sang songs to Maria. They were trying to take part of the people and beat the group. After 45 minutes of walking, two military buses arrived, began firing tear gas and the air became unbearable. The shock was terrible. The priest stood holding the crucifix in his hand. They were heavily armed and they did not flinch. Then we prayed the Magnificat, when we finished the priest turned around and we finished the march in the parish st Charle Lowanga at 13h.

There were several wounded and some dead. I myself am wounded in the legs and therefore in medical rest since Monday.

Thank you for praying for our country, we have hope in you.

Congo
Les manifestants devant la police le 31/12/2017 à Kinshasa lors de la marche initiée par le Comité laïc de coordination (CLC). Radio Okapi/Ph. John Bompengo