Comboni Lay Missionaries

Logo LMC
LMCCentroafrica2
MisionenGuerrero2
Natal20162

English

Visit to the CLM community of Rondos (Peru)

by

Small chronicle of a great history

In February, I had the opportunity to visit the brothers CLM, Daniel (Peruvian) and Lety (Mexican) in the central highlands of Peru, in the District of Rondos, Lauricocha Province, Huanuco Department. It is a purely agricultural region where mainly potatoes, beans, corn are produced and cattle raised. It is famous for the production of cheese too.

There are already a few years that a community of CLM is present, since September of last year are Lety and Daniel and in late February 2014 Scharliman (a Brazilian sister) will join the team. So the international community will be completed.

We are at 3600 meters, the vegetation is sparse (eucalyptus and quinuales), and a few hundred meters above disappears completely. It is rainy season in the mountains; there is water everywhere, all green and mud galore. The road… a disaster…. and moving is an adventure. It is an area of frequent huaycos (landslides).

The height is serious stuff, oxygen is rarer, and many things are complicated: digestion, physical exertion, rest. I spent 4 nights up there and not many hours I could sleep well … over and over in the bed, one feels like it is choking and no matter how many sheep you count … that night becomes long. I already knew because I am a veteran of the mountain, but willingly endured because I wanted to visit the brothers. My respect and admiration for the brothers who go over there a few years of their life, for God’s sake, for the sake of that portion of God’s people, for love of the missionary vocation that has led them there.

Calle de RondosA village street of Rondos
El Mirador de Rondos The gazebo, a stunning beauty

I noticed immediately how people greeted the brothers, know their name, they appreciate their simple and fraternal presence. And the kids, here as elsewhere, also are the most joyous and participatory … every time you hear someone shouting: brother, sister… that pretty.

The Comboni parish of Baños, covers a province, with 7 districts. They are 2 priests and a brother. To Rondos usually goes Fr Eliseo (Togo) for the celebration of the Eucharist. With him they are an Italian elderly father (Fr Lino) and one Spanish religious brother (Amancio)… internationalism everywhere… It happens to be 6 people from 6 different countries, the miracle of the Gospel and the Comboni charism.

LMC en RondosFr Sergio (with the mustache), Daniel (CLM P), Ermelinda, catechist from Rondos and right arm of the CLM community and Lety (CLM Mx).

There is plenty of work: evangelism (celebrations of the word, visiting the sick, visiting schoolhouses to leave a message of faith and hope to the children, catechesis, etc. …and human promotion: library, remedial education, useful holiday, cooking workshops and crafts, games for the kids, etc. … everything go together, following the example of St. Daniel Comboni.

Daniel con niñosDaniel with some kids, look at his cheeks…. is the cold of the height.

In Rondos is being written a page from the gospel, without trumpeting. Being there, I remembered many words of the Holy Scripture made ​​raw flesh: is more blessed to give than to receive… or a glass of water given in my name to someone who is thirsty will not be forgotten… thank you Father for hiding these things from the wise and powerful and revealed them to the little… let the children come to me… whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it…

Sharliman desde BrasilScharliman, CLM from Brazil, the last on the right.

It is definitely a small big love story, there are so many … in one of the many existential peripheries of this world. A story that makes this world a more fraternal, more caring, more beautiful place for those who have been forgotten by the great of this world but they are very close to the heart of God, the Father of all good.

Fr Sergio Agustoni (MCCJ advisory of CLM in Peru).

International Women’s Day in the ISC

by

On March 8 it was the International Women’s Day. A time to celebrate, yes, but mostly for reflection and questioning about the situation of women in society.

In this sense, here on the Industrial School of Carapira (ISC), the juniors (10th grade), as an activity of the subjects of Civics and Moral Education and Computing, organized billboards and theaters on the subject of domestic violence, from the reading of the law made ​​to combat domestic violence in Mozambique. During the morning, in the school hall, posters were presented to other students and teachers. Not all were present, although there was significant student participation. In addition to the 3rd year classes, also collaborated in the presentation the cultural school group called WINA WIPA WOPA that translated from the local language (macua) means SING-DANCE-PLAY. They performed two songs that deal with the issue of violence, one in the opening and again in the conclusion, and even a preview of a small play that are organizing on the issue of human trafficking, which also includes the status of sexual exploitation of women.

At the end of the activities, gave a small gift to the women of the school: the students, secretaries, volunteers for the Peace Corps and the CLM through a card with a message.

It was a rich time of information and reflection, and it was good to see the commitment and animation of the students, especially in the theater. We hope to keep the message and commitment to combat these situations.

For all women, our respect and gratitude! And through the intercession of the Virgin Mother of Africa, God bless you in your mission!

We are together!

CLM Carapira, Mozambique

The palace of learning

by

The trip to Paris took me to the “palace of learning”, the house of the Comboni Missionary Sister where they gives “shelter” to everyone who wants to know and learn French to better serve the mission.

It was therefore here that I met Palmira. Palmira -Comboni Secular Missionary- has been during two months in Paris studying and preparing herself better to go to the Central African Republic, where she will integrate and collaborate with the CLM community present therein.

Always encouraged, Palmira, looks forward with missionary enthusiasm the time of departure and beyond the current situation of the Central African Republic, far from discourage her, is an incentive to keep going.

“Why do people ask me if I want to depart? Of course I do. I’m here for that and my desire is to be at the service of this mission!” – Said Palmira, full of desire to move forward.

During these days, we managed to contact Elia that rejoices in the strength of Palmira and reaffirmed its willingness to continue to share her life with this people: “There is fatigue, but nothing makes me want to leave. If Palmira comes, then we will be together in this missionary journey. In these difficult times the missionary family is my refuge and help. ”

We also find Veronica who, for professional reasons, is in France since October. Veronica is happy both professionally and at the pastoral level, offering to help Palmira with whatever she needs.

I want to show here my gratitude to Fr Luciano who accompanied me during these days.  To the Comboni Sisters who welcomed me so well, thanks to Veronica for a fabulous dinner which gave us a good missionary moment.  And especially big thanks to Palmira: for all that we have shared during these days.

God walks with us in this way that we continue towards the mission He entrusts to us.

By Susana Vilas Boas

Community Experience in Mission Field in Mexico

by

Hi all my CLM friends! Here we send you some of our photos from the Mission Field in our Community Experience, where we spent three months in the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, in the communities of our Indigenous brothers Mixtecs in the Mission of Metlatónoc. Our CLM headquarters is located in the Community of Huexoapa, and from there we moved 2 days per week to the communities of Cocuilotlaxala and Atzompa.

We were accompanying our colleague Alma Navarro, who is currently the only assigned to this mission, as their companions have already completed their period, and in the Christmas mission field joined us: Manuelita and her mom, and Minerva, which traveled from Mexico City.

In the first month of the experience and mission, we were supported and accompanied by Martha, CLM from Puebla. We have had an experience of God, which has filled us with strength in Christ and with great motivation to remain faithful to our vocation. We are already in the city of Mexico, living in the Comboni Seminary of Xochimilco, and from here, we will continue our missionary training as CLM, which will end in June. On July 6, will be our sending Mass right here, all are invited, and we will also let you know about our sending mass in our home parishes. We do not know where are they going to send us, but God knows and that His will be done on us, we put ourselves in his hands and continue entrusting you our Missionary Work of the CLM, for the Regeneration of Peoples. That Jesus Christ and Mary Missionaries, along with St. Daniel Comboni bless you on your missionary way! Thanks for your prayers and financial support!

A strong embrace to all from Isabel and Carolina!

By Isabel and Carolina CLM from Mexico

Pope Francisco Message for Lent 2014

by

Lenten 2014Pope Francis has released his message for Lent this year. The text offered by Francisco, which takes as its theme a fragment of the Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians – “He became poor to enrich us with his poverty” (Cor 8.9) – the Pope reflects on the “poverty that enriches “from the point of view of Christ, and the different forms of poverty that humanity suffers at the present time.

The poverty of Christ is for the Pope a poverty that “liberates and enriches” and shows “unlimited trust in God the Father”. “It has been said that the only real sadness is not being saints; it could also be said that there is one true misery: not live as children of God and brothers of Christ,” said the Pope. In this text, Francisco also warns against three kinds of misery: “material, moral and spiritual misery” that afflicts the human been.

According to what the Pope tells us in this Lenten message, God is not revealed through the power and wealth of the world, but through the weakness and poverty. And Jesus, the eternal Son of God, equal to the Father in power and glory, made himself poor so that we feel brothers of all who are suffering, the needy, the latter, which are the favorites of God.

The Pope invites us in his message to remember that Lent is a time to divest, to ask how we can deprive ourselves in order to help and enrich others with our poverty. Not forgetting that true poverty hurts: a wreck would not be valid without this penitential dimension. Distrust of almsgiving that does not cost and is painless.

Full text of the Pope’s Francisco message for Lent 2014