Comboni Family – Page 101 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

MCCJ Workshop on the “Plan of Comboni”

16 September, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

The world of today, its missionary urgency and the challenges of the Comboni mission.

Started today, the work of reflection on the 150th anniversary of the Comboni Plan for the regeneration of Africa. From all over the world came representatives of the various provinces of the Comboni Missionaries (MCCJ) and are present representatives of the Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS), Secular Comboni Missionaries (SCM) and Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM).

The day began with the Eucharist at the tomb of St. Peter, where Comboni received the inspiration of the Plan. However, this symposium / workshop, as remember Fr Enrique Sánchez (Superior General of MCCJ) in his homily, is not intended to “contemplate” the Plan of Comboni, however, starting from him, aims to reflect and give thanks to God for the fact that this plan has been since the days of Comboni. Today, we must search for the actuality of the Comboni´s Plan, understanding how it applies and leads us in our missionary vocation. To do this, warned Father Mariano Tibaldo (MCCJ) we must find the priorities nowadays and how – in our days – we may live the challenges of this Plan.

The reflection began with brother Enzo Biemmi presented the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium as a provocation of the present Pope Francisco, which especially fits the Comboni Plan in relation to the way in which Comboni conceived the missionary vocation.

In fact, today, we must abandon preconceptions about the missionary who has to evangelize the “others”. We need awareness and missionary conscience that is based on the conversion of the missionary himself (herself). Only the missionary encounter with Christ makes him (her) explicitly and implicitly proclaim the Gospel in all circumstances. It is not therefore an announcement out, but the manifestation of the joy of the encounter with Christ which is manifested in the life of the missionary. We must therefore be aware that without a conversion of the missionary there is no announcement, because without this experience of grace, you cannot get to the heart of man (woman), and in which the Spirit dwells.

Indeed, the first point and the origin of the missionary life and the evangelization is to recognize the presence of God in the other person, thus giving a new style to the mission. This was the modus operandi of Christ, that everything that made makes reference to the will of the Father and / or the faith that saves the one who seeks to save himself (herself).

In this context, Father Mariano Tibaldo (MCCJ) spoke of the urgent problems of the missionary life. Emergencies, these, which are not tied to a geographical location, but must respond, in fact, the demands of evangelization today. It was precisely this question that the participants, in working groups, reflected and were able to share the conclusions with others in the plenary.

Susana Vilas Boas

We are already in Uganda!

9 September, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

The Community in Gulu is complete, we have finally met with Ewa and Joana waiting for us with open arms in St. Jude Orphanage.
Monika and I now fulfill our second week and we are celebrating with an intensive “Acoli” language course, that will allow us to communicate and try to learn and understand those who are our brothers for these coming years.

The first days in Kampala, we had occasion to meet with the Comboni Lay Missionaries and share an interesting talk about how we are going to organize this time we will be in Uganda with them. They explained how they live the lay status, what are their plans and dreams, their limitations, and personally made us very excited to check that we are much closer than we thought.

We also share dinner and prayer in a very friendly atmosphere and with the feeling of being at home. It is a fortune for us that there are CLM in Uganda and Gulu, because we’ll just join what they are already doing and see what may occurs being together.

The next day paperwork and preparing for the long journey that leads north to Gulu. We said goodbye to the Community of Comboni Fathers in Kampala so well received and welcomed us on our arrival.

These are days of discovery, “landing” in a new land, it is time to observe and enjoy the contrasts.

We have also been fortunate to meet Dana (Polish Comboni Lay Missionary, who is completing her service time in Matany) and Marco and Maria Grazia with their sons Francesco and Samuele (Italians Comboni Lay Missionaries) who also complete their mission time in Aber. We went to visit them accompanied by F.Ramón and F.Luigi.

Just one day to share experiences, but enough to see that it was a nice life time for all of them.

It is very positive for us to meet other lay people nearby Gulu who knows realities, is positive as well listening stories and experiences of those who have preceded us, which help us to place ourselves before starting to take over our reality.

That is our time to learn Acoli, sharing Eucharist, meals and tours with Acoli people and the Comboni family and quietly enjoying what Uganda is giving us these first days.

Carmen, Monika, Asia and Ewa

Walking with Comboni

10 July, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

Hello fellow travelers, peace be with you!

These days was held the MCCJ Assembly in the Province of Mozambique. As Comboni Family, the Comboni Sisters and the CLM, we were invited to attend the first two days. This allowed us to better meet our Province and the Comboni Missionaries who are working here.

Being celebrating this jubilee year of the 150th anniversary of the Plan of Comboni, we start with a reflection presented by Father Vitor Dias, former in the novitiate of Santarém, Portugal. How to dream, to experience, to announce: Christ, Comboni and the joy of the Gospel today, in our daily lives, in our actions?

Among us, we were sharing our feelings, our experiences of Christ in the mission, and so, as craftspeople made a mat, we were sharing this reflection. I leave here, knowing that many things remain to be said, a few points:

We are invited, as Comboni, to encounter God, without letting our own tasks to bind us, so that with Him, remain in this attitude: “I am here for whatever you want me”, so let ourselves, therefore, every day, inspire, love, excite, challenge, by the Lord of the Mission.

A meeting methodology, that allows us to live the Pastoral of Meeting with the people in an attitude of listening and dialogue. Daring to live the mission as a “salute”, a beginning to “walk” with the communities, so that in the informal meetings, we announce Christ and allow ourselves to be evangelized by the people who welcome us.

Will you remember the attitude of Pope Francisco that leaving the car went to the old woman? Will it not result of greater impact, greater proclamation of Christ, than a thousand words spoken into a microphone?

For that, we also must leave our “car”, strip us of what we are and have (training, lifestyle, personal experiences), to find one another, our community and the people that welcomed us, from the essence of what the people are. It is an invitation to an attitude of humility; find the other starting from him. A major challenge, isn´t it?

Plan of Comboni, reproduction or upgrade? We would say that the two attitudes. An attitude of reproduction in relation to the Plan of Comboni in what is its highest expression: the freedom of the human person. On the other hand one of the fundamental aspects of the Plan is the dimension of Today. A plan that it is not just paper, but actions that generate life, a life that we want in abundance. For this it is essential starting from what is already built and contextualize our reality today, where we are. We try to leave the “old” to start the “new” from a continuous attitude of discernment.

Which is the new attitude? What we bet? Building structures or build with people? Stone buildings or human constructions?

The challenge is released: Let us not become mere administrators of created structures but seek, invent new possibilities, without fear, with hope and confidence, not in an attitude of “who comes to give”, but who “comes to learn and walk together”.

Seize the wealth of diversity, so that we can set the pace for a mission in increased collaboration and mutual assistance with the people we work, so they are increasingly the protagonists of the mission and their lives.

We leave you with the question: “How do we incarnate the Gospel today?”

With the knowledge that none of us has it all and that no culture drains the Gospel, we walk with the fear of walker and the heart full of trust in the Lord of the mission, which calls us to face the challenges with confidence and optimism.

“Peace be with you” and “Do not be afraid!”

I wait for you in Mozambique 😉

Márcia Costa. CLM in Mozambique.

Secular Comboni Missionary joins the Community of Mongoumba

21 May, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

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.

[Mozambique] Meeting of the Missionary Team of Carapira

13 May, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

On the afternoon of April 28^th, 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.