Comboni Lay Missionaries

Communities celebrate 40 years since the martyrdom of Father Ezequiel Ramin and reaffirm their commitment to justice and faith

LMC Brasil

This Sunday (20), the Father Ezequiel Ramin Community celebrated a historic and symbolic milestone: the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Comboni missionary Ezequiel Ramin and also the 40th anniversary of the existence of the community that bears his name, in the municipality of Mirante da Serra (RO). The event brought together around 300 people, with representatives from neighboring communities and the Father Ezequiel Settlement, which also celebrates 25 years of its foundation.

The celebration was part of the 10th Pilgrimage of Father Ezequiel Ramin, which will take place on July 27th at the Fr. Ezequiel Ramin Community in Rondolândia, Mato Grosso. The Pilgrimage aims to keep alive the memory of the young missionary, who dedicated his life to defending the poor, rural workers, and indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

One of the most moving moments of the celebration was the presence and testimony of Fabiano Ramin, Father Ezequiel’s younger brother, who came from Italy especially to participate in the program commemorating the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom and the founding of the community. In his speech, marked by restrained emotion and profound gratitude, Fabiano emphasized the power of the memory that remains alive among the people Ezequiel chose to serve with his life.

“I feel like crying, but I won’t. Old people feel like crying when they’re very emotional. So, I’m in that situation. I’m the youngest of the Ramin family, and I’m very grateful to you for this celebration, for this occasion that commemorates not only the murder of Father Ezequiel, but also the birth of the community, the baptism of a people who continue to fight.”

He emphasized that the celebration is not just a remembrance of the past, but an act of hope and continuity: “I’m very happy to see that this community is alive. It fights, resists, and organizes itself. As the parish priest said, it requires sacrifice, time, and effort. The Christian mission, as Ezekiel wrote, is proclamation and denunciation. Denouncing injustice is part of faith. And you continue this mission.”

The presence of Comboni missionaries in Mirante da Serra throughout Missionary Week reaffirmed the continuity of the charism and mission of Father Ezequiel Ramin, who was also a Comboni missionary. They participated in pastoral activities, home visits, and moments of listening and prayer with the families of Our Lady of Migrants Parish, Diocese of Ji-Paraná.

The missionary presence reinforces the international and liberating dimension of the Church in the Amazon—a Church that walks with the people, listening to their pain and hopes. By visiting homes, the Comboni Missionaries strengthened community bonds and also revived Ezekiel’s missionary spirit: a faith that denounces injustice and proclaims hope.

The celebration continued with a community lunch, listening to residents, a performance by Clown Liro and closing with community bingo.

One of the most symbolic moments was the mystical performance performed by young people from the community, which portrayed the struggle for land and denounced the structures that led to Father Ezequiel’s martyrdom: “He was murdered because he defended the landless, the squatters, the indigenous people. Because he believed in a just society.

CLM Brazil

You may read the original full version: https://iper-amazonia.com.br/noticias/comunidade-celebra-40-anos-do-martirio-de-padre-ezequiel-ramin-e-reafirma-compromisso-com-justica-e-fe/

I have the passion of someone who follows a dream

Romeria Ezequiel Ramin

“I would like to say something special to those of you who are sensitive to beautiful things: have a dream! Cultivate a beautiful dream and follow it throughout your life! A life that has a dream is a happy life. A life that follows a dream is a life that is renewed every day. Our life, which seems long, is actually short. May your dream make not only everyone happy, but also future generations. It is beautiful to dream of making all humanity happy. It is not impossible!” – Ezequiel Ramin

Father Ezequiel Ramin, a Comboni missionary, wrote this text four years before he was brutally murdered by gunmen on July 24, 1985, in Cacoal, in the state of Rondônia, at the age of 32. He had a dream. The dream of the Kingdom of God. He embraced the cause of the poorest. He died defending the small and unjustly treated, farmers and indigenous people. This year we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom of Father Ezequiel Ramin, martyr of justice in the Amazon.

It is estimated that more than two thousand people from Rondônia and other parts of Brazil and the world participated in the 10th Fr. Ezequiel Ramin Pilgrimage and commemorated his martyrdom in Cacoal/RO and Rondolândia/MT on July 26 and 27. In 2025, the Comboni missionaries will also mark 50 years of presence in Rondônia.

May the testimony of Ezequiel Ramin encourage us in our mission.

If my life belongs to you, my death also belongs to you.” – E. Ramin

Fr. Ezequiel Ramin, present!

LMC Brasil

Celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Anchilo

LMC Anchilo

It was with great faith and joy that on Sunday, July 13, in the presence of the communities and the people of God in general, several priests, and the rector of the diocesan seminary, Holy Mass was celebrated, presided over by Dom Inácio Saúre, I.M.C., Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Nampula and president of CEM (Episcopal Commission of Mozambique).

As part of the 75th anniversary celebration, how beautiful was the shared lunch and the afternoon with cultural moments presented by the parish communities!

This beautiful moment of faith ended with the parish priest’s blessing to the faithful.

Tito, LMC in Mozambique

On the reality of life in Sudan

Jorge Naranjo MCCJ

Father Jorge Naranjo, a Comboni missionary, tells us in an interview about the reality of life since the outbreak of war in Sudan.

In particular, he tells us about the University in Khartoum, run by the Comboni missionaries, during the war and how training programs are being reestablished to serve young people and give hope to the Sudanese people.
(Interview in Spanish)