Greetings from Poland! Almost three weeks ago I started my community experience before going to Kenya. Now Iâm in Warsaw and I live with Ewa, my friend from community. Time is running so fast! I have a lot of meetings and so a lot of oportunites to learn something more. I speak a lot with others missionaries. They share with me their experience. Tell me more about challenges on mission.
I have biblical catechesis twice a week and meetings with Alberto. I have english lessons because there is also a lot of work to do đ
Apart from that I spent a few days in PoznaĆ where my friends from community did for me a great repetition of first aid! They also told me a lot about their pastoral work on their mission and many many other topics we discussed.
On 18th of December 2022, two candidates were commissioned, Maria and Belinda, who were undergoing formation. They have become officially Comboni Lay Missionaries, in the presence of MCCJ Fathers, parents of the candidates and other members of the Comboni Family. The celebration took place at St Daniel Comboni in Huruma, Kariobangi parish. We are overwhelmed with joy, congratulations to them!
Maria and Belinda, after receiving the cross as symbol of their new responsibilities as CLM
On Christmas, some members joined the international community in Kitelakapel (Linda and Pius) to celebrate with them. They shared some beautiful moments and we also watched an amazing movie together as a community.
Christmas team in Kitelakapel (Fr. Maciek, Pius, Mercy, Linda and Neema)
In conjunction, we were invited to facilitate the youth retreat with the mccj at Chelopoy, Amakuriat parish, which was held from 26th to 29th December. This is a great achievement for us, as we are now extending our collaboration with the MCCJ also beyond our own parish.
With the team of facilitators in Chelopoy, Amakuriat parish, West Pokot
Just recently, at the beginning of January 2023, we had our assembly, where we planned and budgeted our activities for this year. We confirmed in their roles the leaders of the previous year, since they have to serve a term of 2 years.
In addition, we decided to add more roles and therefore nominated new leaders, so they can help the existing ones to make things run smoothly. To this purpose, we added the communications and projects coordinators.
We also included in our plan inputs from the African assembly in Benin, reviewed our constitution and later on had a moment of socialization, which did mark our occasion successfully.
We also included a new aspect in our formation meetings, as we decided to add to our monthly meetings moments of service in organisations, like visiting children’s homes and etc. For example, on the last day of our meeting we spent some time at the center of the sisters of charity, helping them looking after a group of disabled children.
We thank the Lord for all these fruitful events, the work we have done so far, the small and big achievements we have attained, the enthusiasm and commitment He has filled us with, and we trust that He will accompany us even more in the year that has just started, wishing a wonderful new start to all the other groups of CLM out there!!!
Taking advantage of Albertoâs visit in the province, we moved across Ghana-Togo-Benin to share our vocation with Friends of Comboni/ Amicale and also to some communities.
On the 26th November 2022, after a meeting with the CLM group in Ghana, Alberto, Justin and Frank started the tour. The first interaction was with Friends of Comboni in St. Paul Catholic Church of Nkanfoa, Cape Coast (Rep. of Ghana). It was a motivating exchange between us. In the presence of Father Boris and two Scholastics we shared with our friends our reality as CLM encouraging them to take a step ahead and start the CLM journey.
On the 27th November, first Sunday of Advent, with a proposal of Father Antoine, a formator in the Scholasticate and Vice Provincial, we divided ourselves to accompany the fathers for the Eucharistic Celebration. Alberto stayed at the main station with Fr. Joseph, Frank followed Fr. Boris to Akonomah (where we had two years ago a missionary experience) and Justin with Fr. Antoine at Edukrom. We were given the opportunity to do CLM vocation promotion.
Back to Togo, on the 30th November, Alberto and Justin met another group at Adidogome, a group followed by Rev. Sister Elisabeth, CMS and Fr. Augustine, MCCJ. The group was very dynamic with the zeal of all its members ready to embrace Comboni charism as CLM.
From 30th November to 3rd December, we stayed at the Postulancy living together with the fathers Anicet, Maurice and TenĂas all MCCJ and the 20 postulants. We prayed, participated to the Eucharistic Celebrations and shared meal together.
On the 1st December, morning, Alberto and I went to visit the Comboni Sisters. We stayed together and shared some ideas especially about the group of Friends of Comboni which Sister Elisabeth was accompanying.
In the evening, we went to Cacaveli to share with another group of Friends of Comboni. Scholastic Joseph Atsou, responsible of CAM (Missionary Animation Center) was present at the meeting and promised to accompany the group.
Before the meeting, Alberto and Justin went to greet Fr. Timothy, the Superior Provincial.
In Benin, after the CLM Assembly, Alberto, Justin and Brother Pascal visited another group of âAmicaleâ in Cotonou a group accompanied by Brother Pascal, MCCJ. Out of the bigger group, some members were very committed.
We took contacts from all the groups from Ghana to Benin and promised to continue interacting with them. We hope with divine grace, that soon, some will join the CLM group.
In Mexico, after participating in our continental meeting in Peru, we met on October 15 in an extraordinary meeting called by our MCCJ advisor, Fr. Filomeno Ceja, to get to know each other better, where the elections of the national leaders of our group took place: Beatriz Maldonado, coordinator; Hortensia Licona, Economy; Silvia Tapia, missionary animation; AdĂĄn Aguilar, formator and RocĂo Quintero, Justice and Peace. We set ourselves the task of establishing the concrete lines of action so that each commission could take up again the path based on our national reality, being aware that it is necessary to update ourselves and rediscover the concrete field of action to be followed.
We have carried out a diagnostic questionnaire that will facilitate the realization of our work plan for 2023, and in dialogue with the coordinators we are analyzing what we will be able to do in the following year. The organizational chart has already been updated and we have the task of reading our directory in order to review it and modify what needs to be renewed. Also, to the extent of our possibilities, we are making our overdue contributions in order to fulfill our contribution to the international common fund and thanks to the collaboration of two benefactors we will be able to send something for the communities of Kenya and Mozambique, a flyer has been made to promote vocations in the Comboni family within our missionary animations.
We were invited to participate in the week of UIC Theology, we were offered to participate in this meeting, the central theme was “Co-responsibility and participation of the Laity in the Evangelizing Life and Mission of the Church” it was very enriching to be able to live it. These are spaces in which we can receive training that help us in our Christian maturity, updating our ways of serving in our church.
Fr. Filomeno took on the task of visiting the local groups and getting to know the reality of each one. For the moment we need to visit those in Monterrey who have shared with us that they are supporting the missionary animations; Manuelita, Rosy and Minerva also accompanied him to visit the parish of Metlatonoc to make an analysis of the reality that will allow us to make a decision about the needs that we find and what we can contribute, it is a town with a richness in its traditions and the way in which the faith has been preserved, since it was seen and commented the need for a committed lay presence in the parish, being necessary to have a decent place to reopen a mission experience as CLM in coordination with the MCCJ and the parish.
By the grace of God I had the opportunity to close this liturgical year participating in an assembly of the Pontifical Missionary Works of the Mexican Episcopate OMPE, in the XIX national meeting of Lay Missionary Institutes Ad Gentes “MILAG”, we have introduced ourselves and we have put in common the way we accompany people who want to be part of our group briefly describing our formation process; thanks to the international formation guide that we have it was easy to explain it.
We were introduced to the missionary project “Laity in Departure” which will be enriched and implemented after this meeting, there is a very important figure which is the “Diocesan Animator of Lay Missions Ad gentes” that we will propose to the dioceses and that will be appointed to work in communion with MILAG and the OMPE. We have proposed candidates who could exercise this service together with the diocesan director of missions and his team.
Before the beginning of this liturgical year, soon to begin, we have programmed “Celebrate the CLM day” virtually, this Third Sunday of Advent, praying the missionary rosary, each local group will lead a mystery, it will be a moment of prayer that will help us to integrate as a group, in the joy of getting together to celebrate that we share our being CLM and we are in tune with our missionary work. Meditating on the life of Jesus Christ under the intercession of our mother the Virgin Mary. United in prayer for the good of the mission, we will continue to communicate.
After intensive week of deliberations, presentations and group work trying to find solutions and possible suggestions to move the CLM group forward, members of the 4th African general assembly brainstormed on how to make the CLM in Africa more autonomous on three levels namely economic, organization and formation autonomy.
For CLM members in Africa to achieve economic autonomy, each group should strive for other income generating projects, scale up members contributions, use a proper accountability procedure to help the group in clean and viable ways to boost the confidence of CLM members and donors to sponsor them. They should start ways on how to gradually stop dependence on the MCCJ.
Members of the CLM should take the management of the groups and be recognized as those who can depend on their own, as one day MCCJ will leave the group. They were encouraged that the commissioned CLMs should be trained as trainers to release the MCCJ who are the currently trainer for the groups.
The 4th assembly were enthusiastic on the recognition by legal ecclesiastical and at civic level. They stressed the need for recognition as this will make them carry their duties freely and openly without rejection from any quarters. Also this may give them some bargaining power in negotiation at the civic level in terms of job. They stressed the need to be recognised by the canon law on private association of faithful.
A tour around Cotonou
After a busy week of nonstop discussion members took a day off to relax and see what nature offers to beauty of the country of Benin specifically the city of Cotonou. The journey started by visit to one of the community of St Daniel Comboni. itâs a community of 3 Comboni Brothers. Running a conference facility for hire. The guest can decide to board, or hire. It has a kitchen for full board. The facility is mostly busy on week ends. it has become the conference centre for the city of Cotonou and its environs.
We then left to visit one of the oldest seminaries in west Africa. It was the only seminary For Ivory Coast, Benin Togo and Ghana . St Gall Major Seminary offers the serene environment of silence that gives it the atmosphere for learning. We visited the chapel and saw the tombs of great missionaries. The architectural designs are stunning depicting the ancient designs of those days. It was built in 1914.
Our guide tells us that it was their ancestors who donated the land which the church stands. The church and the temple of the python co-existed peacefully from then without interference with each other religion. In the Vudu they believe that they are helped by god python. Within the compound of the temple of python, we saw iroko âTreeâ which has now dried up and is said to be 4 centuries (400 years) and a big baobab tree said to be 6 centuries old (600 years). The guide gave us a brief history of the place. The first instance we met the serpent face to face after assurance that its non venom. The guide invited us to hold their god the python. He placed the python on my neck, the snake it starts to scroll towards my chin. Well your guess is as accurate as mine what was happening in my mind. We were ushered in to a small room but after being ordered to remove the shoes. Inside the room there are 50 pythons, you could easily step on or mistake for a log as the room was poorly lit. Later on the day we had sumptuous local meal at one of the local restaurant.
Afterwards, we set off to see the cathedral of Cotonou âMother of Maryâ. Its painting of red and white colours makes it a beautiful architecture to admire. A big place to worship and behind the church cathedral is the radio station belonging to the Catholic church.
Later on we went to the football stadium but we could not get into the stadium as renovations were on going. We passed by the state house of Benin but stopped at the national monument of Benin. The design of the structure of the statue measuring nearly 50 meters tall is erected in the middle of a square where people rest as they take pictures with the Amazon. Historians has it that, itâs a symbol representing women who fought the French when the French soldiers wanted to colonize their country. The tall lady âAmazonâ holding a knife and a riffle is a no dare to joke with.
After touring the hot city of Cotonou, we set off to the beach, some of us have only read about the Atlantic ocean. We came face to face with the big tidings of the waves, roaring sounds of the water as it splashes on the shore making spectacular retreat that leaves us wet from our knees. What a wonderful way to cool off as we watch the sun set. Showing a large ball of orange as it disappears into the waters of the ocean at the horizon. On our way back home we visited the last community of the Comboniâs, St Francis Of Assisi catholic church. Its proximity to the ocean and airports makes it a vantage point to see aeroplanes take off and cool evening breeze to relax your mind and body.
On Saturday we went for serious deliberations, resolutions and later on the final party as this was our final day of the assembly. We believe that with what we have agreed as the African assembly each member of the assembly has something to take home and implement so that as we shall come for the next assembly in 2025 we shall witness huge improvement in our CLM groups. Members also had a chance to elect a new team of coordinators at the continental level they are Hani Chafik, Justin Nougnui and Martin Juma.
Greetings, Martin Juma, CLM Kenya
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