That we may be ever more aware that it is in fra-ternity and solidarity that we build up peace, guarantee justice and overcome personal, social, and global crises. Let us pray.
Comboni Family
A steady and slow pace that is needed for…
On Sunday, November 26, the first formation meeting was held at the Comboni Postulancy of the Martyrs of Uganda in San José, Costa Rica, as part of the discernment stage of the current group of candidates for Comboni Lay Missionaries.
Jesús Pérez – MCCJ, originally from Spain and currently living in the country, accompanied the formative meeting under the theme: “My personal history as a history of salvation”. The objective is to accompany the candidates in the discovery of their vocation within a process of identification with the Comboni mission and charism, trying that each candidate can reread his own life, learning to know and value himself as a person in all its dimensions.
Before starting the formation meeting, we had the virtual visit of Alberto de la Portilla (coordinator of the Central Committee) and Beatriz Maldonado (coordinator of the American committee) of the Comboni Lay Missionaries, as a way of welcoming the new group of candidates to CLM – Costa Rica and encourage them to continue to persevere in this beautiful journey of formation, prayer and missionary service to the ends of the world to make common cause with other peoples where many brothers and sisters are waiting for holy and capable missionaries.
The formation meeting was undoubtedly a space of great importance and reflection on a personal level for each one of the candidates, not only on a human level, but also on a spiritual level. We encourage the new candidates of Costa Rica to continue persevering in the call of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the style and charism of St. Daniel Comboni.
Alex Menjívar, CLM Candidate
Here i am Lord, I come to do your will!
When God’s hour has come, no one can go against it. Having started the journey for quite a while, finally, the Provincial Council approved the suggestion of Father Leopold, chaplain of the CLM in the Province, that Christian Wotormenyo could make his official entry into the Comboni Family through his promise.
This December 1st, he was asked to come and pray at the Good Shepherd parish of Mafi-Kumase, a parish where Father Chaplain is parish priest. It was a time of personal reflection for him to place himself in God’s hands for this commitment.
On Sunday, December 3, the first Sunday of Advent, as requested by the Bishop of the diocese, all stations must meet in one place for the celebration. Thus, all the outstations of Mafi-Kumase gathered at Mafi-Kumase for the celebration. At 9 a.m., the Eucharistic celebration began. After the homily, Father Leopold gave an overview of the ceremony to the entire community present. And then he called the candidate and asked the Coordinator to introduce him. After the presentation, Christian knelt and, before the Father Chaplain, presiding over the ceremony in the name of the Father Provincial, he made his promise. Afterwards, he signed the promise document and was welcomed by the MCCJ. For the first anniversary of the CLM in the province, Lacoste were manufactured and Christian went to the sacristy to put on the dress, a sign of his integration into the CLM Family. The CLM group then came to accept him as a member. The coordinator, at the invitation of the chaplain, carried out vocation promotion. The four CLMs of the Province were given a special blessing by Father John Bliss, MCCJ, concelebrating with three other fathers. At the end of the ceremony, photos were taken and also a small reception was given.
Justin Nougnui, CLM coordinator.
Prayer Intentions of the Comboni Family December 2023
That we may learn to promote and live a more human economy, which places at its centre the most fragile people and those in need of a welcome and assistance, and progressively eliminates the wide and growing inequalities that exist in the world. Let us pray.