Comboni Lay Missionaries

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[Portugal] Echoes of the March 2014 meeting

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On 8 and 9 of March, a training meeting of the CLM, in the house of Coimbra, was held. The theme was “The documents of the Church”. The training was led by the CLM Susana Vilas Boas, amazing as always. It was also with us Fr Manuel Lopes.

Despite the complexity and richness of theme, the creativity of the presentations made it to be a nice training around the basic texts of the Church motivating the desire to know. We recognize the importance of the documents to live the faith and mission in communion, as members of the Church of Christ.

The program included the presentation of the most relevant documents for the Mission followed by the reading and debate in group and then sharing together. I transcribe fragments of the selected texts:

  • Humanity can have hope and should have hope: the living and personal Gospel, Jesus Christ himself is the “news” bearer of joy that the Church proclaims every day and who is a witness every day. (Laici Christi fideles)
  • The envoy enters into the life and mission of the One who “emptied himself, take the form of a servant. So, be prepared and be faithful lifetime in a vocation, to resign yourself and all your stuff, and be everything to everyone. (Ad Gentes)
  • With the message of the Gospel, the Church offers a liberating and creative force for development, precisely because it leads to conversion of heart and mind, does recognize the dignity of each person, encourages solidarity, commitment and service for other to insert man in God’s plan which is to build the Kingdom of Peace and Justice, already in this life. (Redemptoris Missio).
  • To each disciple of Christ incumbent the commission to spread the faith, according to his own measure. (Lumen Gentium)

The exchange was synthesized by each one in a word, that we share in the Evening Prayer: commitment, community, communion/community, will, responsibility, humility, generosity and mission.

On Sunday morning, we read the Holy Father’s Francisco message for Lent. Disturbing and challenging: “For the reason of all this is the divine love. A love that is grace, generosity, desire for closeness, which no doubt to give himself and sacrifice for their beloved creatures (…) Do not forget that true poverty hurts”.

The times of prayer set the tone of the meeting and gave meaning and force to our purposes of communion and mission in the Church.

The meeting did not miss the joy, sharing, music, sunshine and flowers…

For all this, Thank goodness!

by Patricia

 

Final Vows of Sr. Lilia (Comboni Missionary Sister in Carapira)

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The mission team from Carapira held a big party on March 15, celebrating the birth of St. Daniel Comboni and the lives that continue consecrating. On this day was the sister Lilia Karina Navarrete Solis, who made her perpetual profession, with the slogan “I consecrated you and appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Known as Sister Lily, is a Mexican citizen and works as director of the Health Centre in Carapira. Everything took place in a family atmosphere with the presence of officials of the Health Center, parochial and religious leaders of the Diocese of Nacala and Nampula, among other guests. After the celebration presided by the Bishop of the Diocese of Nacala, Don Germano, we shared lunch. The CLM join together the team that helped acclimate the place, serving food, washing dishes, tidying everything back in place and supporting in every way possible. Sister Teresina, apart from the head of the organization, was also the godmother of the profession.

This is always an appropriate time for missionary animation. Thus, the lay group prepared a panel entitled “Daniel Comboni inspired”, which featured images and short texts about the four branches of the Comboni Family: Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Missionary Sisters, Secular Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries.

Let us pray for sister Lilia and all vocations!

We are together!

CLM Carapira

Do not get close to your own flesh

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DO NOT GET CLOSE TO YOUR OWN FLESH

On February 6, 15 people died in the “El Tarajal” Beach in Ceuta. Some media said they were undocumented, Sub Saharan, immigrants … but basically they were 15 people, with 15 stories, with their 15 families. Each of them with their dignity, their rights and especially with their life. Following what happened that day, there was a great stir, especially at the political level where they blame the political adversary and try to take advantage of the event.

The Archbishop of Tangier, Monsignor Santiago Agrelo published a letter that has no waste and we collect below.

And the Lord said: Share your bread and your light shall rise

No one needs to interpret, because it is said to understand it even for children. “Share your bread with the hungry, houses the poor homeless, dress who goes nude” And after this command accessible to all, if it were necessary, the reason that sustains is added: “Do not close your own flesh”.  The starving, the oppressed and the homeless, the naked, are “our own flesh”!

“Do not get close to your own flesh”: This unique knowledge should be enough to have changed the politics about the borders, another the logical of our reasoning, another the purpose of our demonstrations, another the matrix of our concerns, our aspirations, our complaints, our options.

“Do not get close to your own flesh”: If you walk on the path of this wisdom, “your light will break like the dawn,” ahead of you shall go the justice and behind shall go the glory of the Lord, your light will shine in the darkness, your darkness will become noon. ”

“Do not get close to your own flesh” and the bread that you share with the hungry, make you light for the homeless, as it is light to you the One that with his life in the hands like a loaf, said: “This is my body which is given for you“.

“Do not close your own flesh”: Seat the poor to the table of your life, and you shall be to them the light with which God enlightens.

And for the many that again and again remind me that the Church is not an NGO, again and again I will remind them that the poor are “our own fles”, and that our bread is their own bread, and that the Church is their own home.

Happy Sunday

Other Letters published by Bishop Agrelo these days about immigration:

Letter to Immigrants (in Spanish)

Option for God option for the poor (in Spanish)

More information on the website of the Diocese of Tangier:

And you can follow Monsignor Santiago Agrelo through Facebook

Our First Year in Malawi

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After spending our first year here in Malawi, we have asked ourselves what have we done? On the surface, no we haven’t built any schools, dug any wells, started huge projects or any of the like. What we have done this past year is demonstrated the life of a loving Christian family that is willing to put all trust in Him and spread His love in a land that very much needs it.

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Our neighborhood crew

We have developed many strong relationships with our neighbors, teachers that we work with and the parish family in which we now pray with.  This has been the main part of our work and we are grateful to God for the success in which we have achieved in these newfound friendships.

Over the past months our family (mainly Tonya) has become the neighborhood doctor. We have treated massive infected burns, transported children and adults to the hospital, sometimes in the middle of the night, mended cuts, scrapes, and even some pretty awesome foot fungus. The reason this all started is not because we have more medicine, money or resources than the people around us. Although all of that is true, it started because we showed compassion and concern when we saw that our friends were suffering.

Suffering to many around us is not something new. Many suffer from malaria multiple times a year. Also many suffer from hunger when their pay runs out and they can’t afford to bath or feed their family after working 6 days a week. Although we can’t fully support all the needs of the people around us, we do what we can do. We give a little work to the neighbors that need a little cash to scrape by. We give a few eggs to the family has nothing but nsima for dinner. However little it may be, we show those around us the love that Christ has put in our hearts.

Jacob just finished his first bible study with a couple of great guys. Starting the study seemed to be great idea with some of the young men here from St. Johns. After a few weeks of some of the guys showing up and some not, it ended up being a group of only three including Jacob. At first this was a bit discouraging, but in Proverbs we read: “He that winneth souls is wise.” If any man, women, or child by a godly life and example can win one soul to God, his life will not have been a failure. He will have outshone all the mighty men of his day, because he will have set a stream in motion that will flow on and on forever and ever.
-Dwight L. Moody. The whole experience has been very fuitful and he looks forward to the next opportunity to start a new group. 

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Jacob, Andrew, and Charles, the first No Regrets mens group in Malawi

We continue to assist the nursery schools, mostly on an administrative level. We plan to take a trip soon to the CTC to purchase wooden chairs and table to replace the plastic chairs that keep breaking and introduce new styles of learning to the existing program. Which right now mostly consists of rote learning, where the student memorizes the words or statements without really knowing what they mean or understanding the context of the information. The tables and chairs will provide a space where the students can learn more with manipulative action and artistic practice.  The funding for these tables and chairs is coming from our home parish St. Ann in Stoughton. We cannot thank you enough for this wonderful gift.

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Tonya and our friends at Fr. Dario’s Farewell Party

A couple weeks ago we said goodbye to our friend and previous Provincial Superior Fr. Dario. He will be on holiday for the next couple months back in his home province, Portugal. His next assignment after that is not yet known. We wish him all the best during his holiday and pray that we will again meet soon.

Jacob also made a little video of shots from our first year here. Although we have many other pics and God has shown His face in many other ways, it is a good snap shot of the past year.

We thank all of you for your continued support through prayer, emails, Skype, and all the other ways we feel your love and presence in our lives.  We ask that you please consider supporting the Comboni Lay Missionary Program directly here. God Bless each and everyone of you.  Jacob, Tonya, Lily and Josie 

CLM Lilongwe, Malawi Africa

Happy anniversary of Comboni

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Greetings to everybody in this special day.

On this important day for all Comboni Family, friends and collaborators we want to share with you a modest video with some pictures of our missionary activity.

Little by little we are encouraging and preparing for the meeting that we will have as Comboni Family in Spain around the 150th anniversary of the Plan of Comboni.

Hope you like.

St. Daniel Comboni helps us to be faithful to our missionary vocation and continue to support all those who need it.

With your help it will be possible.