Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Events in Ghana

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Ghana1. We met in a village called Dadome some teachers sponsored by In My Father’s House. The target was to sow in their heart the desire to sacrifice themselves for the proclamation of the Good News to the poorest and abandoned. The fact that they were sponsored by IMFH is a predisposition to make such step. IMFH is an Institution witnessing the Good News to the “little ones.” They agreed to start the journey with the CLM. We then planned to be meeting. The coming meeting with them is on the 28th June.

Ghana2. At IMFH, taking advantage of the visit of Knights and Ladies of St John, we let them know about us. As they have already the desire to be closer to the children, they are a land that can produce committed and zealous CLM. We explained who we are and what we are doing to them. Fruit has started coming out already.

3. The Provincial Council of MCCJ has appointed two priests to journey with us. They are Rev. Fr Jean de Dieu Hounongbe (Vocation promoter) and Rev. Fr Yves Gbenou (member of the Provincial Council). Rev. Fr Abel Gueli (Mission Animation Commission secretary) is appointed to represent the MCCJ at the coming continental meeting. We are very happy about the way God is leading us and thank the Provincial Council for all their attention on the lays and their effort to give us the adequate formation as sharers of the same combonian charism.

Ghana4. Talking about the involvement of MCCJ in our journey, we would like to thank God for the fortieth priesthood anniversary of Rev. Fr Joseph Rabbiosi. He is up till now the CLM chaplain. He gave himself totally for the good and consolidation of the CLM. He is the one closer to us, provides advices and show us the way we have to engage ourselves. We thank God for his life and pray that he may become a “holy and capable missionary.”

5. The 24th May, we held our 13th meeting at IMFH. As usual now, we have first participated to the Eucharist. We then met parents of some Senior High School students (students who are under the sponsorship of IMFH). The target was to involve them in their children schooling. The spirit to “save Africa by Africa”, “African should take their destiny in hands” is here our driven strength. Some of the children can be taken care of by their relatives and it is our purpose.

Ghana

After this meeting, we continued with our CLM monthly meeting. Among the various points discussed are our CLM structure, the letter head with logo, the various ways of raising found for CLM. We thought also on the way to start raising some funds within IMFH to support the same Institution (this is based on an experience in Layibi with the workers of Good Samaritain). The coordinator made the annual report of our group which we all passed through to see the way we are journeying. The challenges are many. The coming meeting will be on the 28th June. We expect Fr Jean de Dieu and Yves Gbenou being among us to continue the journey with us.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

Secular Comboni Missionary joins the Community of Mongoumba

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Palmira

Last May 11 was sent in her home parish Palmira Pinheiro, Secular Comboni Missionary that after a period of training in Spain and France along the CLM is already part of the CLM international community present in Mongoumba (CAR).

Palmira, retired nurse, arrived in Bangui (Central African Republic capital) on Tuesday with her suitcases full of enthusiasm and desire to work with the Central African people. There she will work with the CLM Teresa Monzón and Elia Gomes (Spanish and Portuguese CLM) in the mission of Mongoumba. Joining the community reinforces the missionary presence among the Central African people making actually the dream of Comboni of being a Cenacle of Apostles in the middle of the African people.

Palmira, we wish you all the best in this new phase of your life. Remember you have all our support and our prayers.

Come on in

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4217The warm Ethiopian hospitality has been constant throughout our 5 years here in Awassa.  We reflect much on how many Ethiopians have opened their homes to us. No matter the size of family, shape of home, economic situation, hosting is a deep part of their culture. It struck us that the hospitality and openness is greater here than we have experienced in many other countries, including our own. Ethiopians are good at hosting and really enjoy just being together.  On New Years Day of the Ethiopian calendar (September 11 in the international calender), we arrived at noon at our neighbour’s home. Before eating, they brought around a pitcher of warm water and a basin, and individually washed our hands. This is customary.  We had a delicious lunch together and then a very long and relaxing coffee ceremony in the afternoon. There was chatting, stories, and even some dancing. Finally it was getting close to 6pm, so I nudged Mark, thinking we may overstay our welcome. However, when we suggested that it was time for us to go, they exclaimed “but we haven’t had supper yet!”.  We stayed until 9pm! This beautiful trait of Ethiopian culture has always made us feel incredibly welcome here.

– Maggie

Maggie, Mark and Emebet Banga, Comboni Lay Missionaries, Awassa, Ethiopia

Ethiopia coffee ceremony

[Mozambique] Meeting of the Missionary Team of Carapira

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On the afternoon of April 28th, we had the meeting of the missionary team of Carapira where participated the Comboni Missionaries, the Comboni missionary Sisters and the CLM. The meeting had as its theme “SEE”, from the reflection of the letter from the General of the MCCJ on the 150th anniversary of the plan of Comboni, taking as a guiding line for reflection the question “what is the reality that is challenging us today as a missionary opportunity and with what universal issues?” The evening began with the adoration of the Most Holy. Right away began the works, for which we formed three thematic groups: 1) Health and Women; 2) Education and Parishes; and 3) Justice and Peace, Questioning over land and labor. Each group makes a list of the different views on every issue from the perspective of the question placed at the beginning, later in a general plenary; we all share the results of the work. A summary was prepared that will be used for the preparation of the next meeting of the team that will address the JUDGING. We conclude the Comboni family evening with a typical dish of Mexican cuisine “Posole” prepared by Beatriz CLM.

Another moment of Comboni Family

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Combonianas Europa

Last weekend I had the chance to participate in the assembly of the Europe province of the Comboni missionary Sisters. In Madrid they reunited sisters arrived from Berlin, Paris, UK, Portugal and Spain each of them with the hope of sharing their day-to-day missionary call.

I know that some people see the assemblies as a few days of long sitting and hearing many words. I think the assemblies of the Comboni Family are moments to share experiences and create missionary illusions.

This province born with the illusion of understanding and propose significant missionary presence in Europe, at a time when the mission is conceived not only as a geographical shift from north to south of the world, but as a meeting with all “South’s” that are scattered throughout the world, for a meeting with the brothers and sisters who live apart or are excluded. We met with our hearts full of missionary experiences on African, American, Asian soil that want to show in Europe the need to live in communion with those peoples more poor and abandoned. These hearts cannot close here but also be open here in Europe where there are victims of exclusion, exploitation, poverty … Knit in community, in family, a prophetic life style means to side with the underdog, of those who has less opportunities. Knowing that so many situations in the South are still bleeding but been aware that in this global village the interrelationship among everything, the interdependence makes us stand beside those who suffer anywhere in the globe, in solidarity one with the other, seeking a better world for all, where the causes, actions and consequences of our chores are strongly interlinked in this global village we inhabit.

From this fact we reflected on the need for reconciliation in our communities, in our environment. Only from the love that transforms the heart, and then generates life, we can offer an increasingly fraternal relations, understanding us as daughters and children of the same Father (Abba), enables us to rise above differences and difficulties in establishing bonds of brotherhood.

It has resonate strongly the Comboni´s intuition of the Cenacle of Apostles be made ​of religious brothers, priests, religious sisters, secular and lay as one family. This gift of the Comboni charism challenges us to think together, to work together, to pray together and suggest as a family the need for mission today.

The challenges of ministerial service, the missionary presence wherever we are, in the work of missionary animation (opening doors and windows to make known the life that is in need of our support in many corners of the world), the work with situations of South’s situations in Europe like immigrants, trafficking persons, peripheries where commitment to issues of justice and peace is necessary to address situations like a closeness hug to attend people… all networked with the lay that everyday are engaged in these realities, with other congregations, with social entities, with a real networking that fortify the action of every individual and institution engaged in this service to give life in abundance to those who need it most.

Revitalize everyday our community life, where everyone is protagonists, where we may propose a more humane style of life, sustainable, close to the needy, open and welcoming to those around us.

The formation that help us grow in our spirituality, to be attentive to new realities, to be prepared for a better service, which balances our doing with reflection and prayer that helps us to be and work with sense to the everyday of our lives.

To cap we also celebrate the 50th years of votes of three of the sisters present, witness of fidelity and devotion that encourages us in our missionary journey.

Therefore each assembly of the Comboni Family, and this one confirmed, it remains to be a place to pray and dream a better world, to walk together on the path of Emmaus to discover the presence of Jesus that is on our side and unfolds and open our eyes to the realities of this world, encouraged and precedes us on the way to Galilee.

Thanks for these days

Alberto de la Portilla