Formation – Page 16 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

A family that dreams

21 March, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

Last weekend we celebrated the VII Meeting of the Comboni Family in Spain. We have experienced the joy of reuniting and we have verified that the missionary dream of following our vocation as a family (religious, men and women religious, lay and secular Comboni Missionaries) is renewed.

The house of the Comboni Missionaries in Madrid welcomed this group of 30 people belonging to the various communities of CMS, MCCJ and CLM in Spain. The Comboni Seculars could not be present on this occasion. Pietro Ciuciulla, of the MCCJ General Council, as well as the leaders of the 3 branches present and Alberto de la Portilla, Coordinator of the CLM Central Committee.

The focus of the meeting was to accompany, through reflection and prayer, the 150th anniversary of the foundation of our Comboni Missionary Sisters. Prado Fernandez led the presentation of the history of the first Comboni Sisters who accompanied St. Daniel on his first journeys, marked by the Cross as victims of the Mahdia, the revolt that devastated the first Comboni works in Sudan and marked from the beginning the vocation of the CMS.

From his first intuition, Comboni dreamed of a family, for his first journey counted on lay missionaries and on these courageous and forward-looking women as mission companions. In the course of its history, the witness of the sisters consolidates the liberating impulse of women in all latitudes. Rereading those early sufferings launches us into the challenges of the present moment. And we renew our awareness that today the Comboni charism is actualized through the Comboni Family. Fr. Pietro insisted on this when commenting on the inspiring document of the General Councils of the Comboni Family of 2017: “The charism grows and is renewed when it is shared with others who recreate it in the peculiarity of each style of Christian life”.

In this spirit, the Map of the Ministeriality of the Comboni Family, was presented, which gathers more than 200 missionary presences in the world, with tremendous vitality in the most diverse contexts, educational, health, social, pastoral, transforming impact… The mission is understood today from the ministeriality, from the service to the people in these various areas. This integral mission of the Church must integrate service, accompaniment, reflection, sensitization and social transformation in the process.

The mission process

Taken from Fr. Alvarez SJ

In the final part of the meeting, the leaders of the 3 branches present shared the current situation of their organizations, with various challenges and hopes. This 2022 coincides for the first time the General Chapter of CMS and MCCJ. It is a moment of special density, to remain faithful to the vocation that is carried out in new ways, with new means. A moment in which we renew the intuition to continue dreaming together how to develop the Comboni mission in the world.

Gonzalo Violero, CLM Spain

CLM meeting in Granada and celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Comboni Sisters.

4 March, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

After lowering the incidence by the number of cases of Covid we returned to have our face-to-face meeting in Granada the CLM of southern Spain. Always respecting the use of masks and ventilation indoors but looking forward to meet again and share.

This weekend we also have the presence of several candidates.

In these cases we divided the meeting into several moments. In some we were all together and in others separated in order to advance in the different things that we established for ourselves.

We began with a time of prayer where we put ourselves in the presence of the Lord, pray for the reality that surrounds us and give thanks for it.

On Saturday morning we were all together sharing a topic on Comboni Spirituality (CLM, candidates and some Comboni Fathers). It was a nice time where we could share how our spirituality marks our vocation and many of our life experiences. Spirituality is nourishment and sustenance in our choices and supports us in difficult moments and in making important decisions.

In the afternoon we went to celebrate with the Comboni Sisters the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Institute. They had prepared a very nice event where 4 of them presented the importance of women and the mission from various points of view. It was nice how, without having foreseen it previously, they spoke about many of the things we had discussed in the morning, illuminating it with their life experience as Comboni Missionary Sisters.

Later we went to celebrate a Eucharist of thanksgiving in the parish where they are present for these years and ended the evening with a fraternal agape.

On Sunday, in addition to the time of prayer, we divided to work in parallel CLM and candidates. On the one hand to work on future commitments and review life as a community and on the other hand the candidates had the missionary testimony of Carmen Aranda in Uganda.

We ended with different topics, among others the campaign about our opening of missions in Kenya and Mozambique and the next meetings.

A very well spent and beautiful weekend.

Alberto, CLM Spain

We leave here the video that the Comboni Sisters put at the beginning of their talk that explains very well these years of the institute and the illusion to continue walking at the service of the mission.

Missionary experience in the province of Togo-Ghana-Benin Province from 11th December, 2021 to 3rd January, 2022.

18 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

On the 11th December, three of our members namely Wotormenyo Christian, Amekor Benjamin and Justin Nougnui started the journey to Togo. After crossing Togo-Ghana border, we headed towards Tabligbo to meet the parish priest Rev. Fr. Shane Degblor who took us to Sts Joachim and Anna catholic Church in Esse_Ana where we should reside for the experience. Our stay for three weeks helped us to enjoy our togetherness and also to go out to meet other people. We were later joined by our brother Godwin Ocloo.

A. A. Community life

We had time to pray together as CLM aspirants, eat together, plan together.

Prayer life : We had time to pray together in the morning and evening, share daily readings and mostly Sunday readings with some comments given to us by the parish priest.
Around the table: With a food prepared by ourselves or with the help of some members of the Church, we always sat at the same table for the meal. And often, the eating went in pair with discussion on our experience and also about clm life in our province.
Planning: In evening, we reflected on how best we spent the day and how best we could continue.

B. Life with the church community

The meeting held with the parish priest on the 15th December after our arrival at Esse-Ana paved the way for us in our commitment with the church community.

Prayer with the community: We had morning celebrations from Monday to Friday. With the nice organization of the Diocese of Aneho about the lay Communion Ministers, we had the grace to receive Holy Communion at daily basis with the zeal of the Fidei Custos Richard Tchitchira.

The worship was either presided over by one of us or the catechist Albert Adandjehoun.

Monday and Thursday, we prayed rosary.

Christmas festivities were very enjoyed with celebrations and entertainment by Holy Childhood and Hosevu (drum group).

Work with the church associations: A meeting held with associations’ leaders on the 12th December helped us to know the challenges some groups were facing. We tried our best to help them especially the Choir and the lectors. With morning songs learning, we equipped the choristers with some new songs. Also, we increased the number of the lectors by calling for membership.
Training on worship leading: We started a training of two members of Esse-Ana community to enable them to lead a celebration in the absence of a priest. We entrusted the two people to the catechist to continue their training.

C. Meeting with outside church world

House visitation: House visitation helped us to come across some sick people either of the church or not. We met a sub-committee of the church committee in charge of sick people to continue the visitation and plan some help to them. We also spoke to the catechist to prepare the communicants among the sick for the Sacrament of Confession so to prepare them for Holy Communion. We invited other people to join us in our celebrations.
Teaching of English language: We came to Esse-Ana some days before vacation. With this opportunity, we moved from Primary to Senior High (Lycée) passing by Junior High (Collège) to assist the English teachers in teaching English Language. Being all teachers and a fortiori having an English master, Amekor Benjamin, among us was a great advantage to teach. We invited students to church and to take up some leadership position. We had a worship with the primary school before departing and planned for other activities to continue when they resume.

D. Other station visitations

We visited other stations near Esse-Ana. By car, motor or bicycle, Christian Wotormenyo and Justin Nougnui went to Kodehoe, Tometykondji, Boevikorpe and Klohome. We helped in the sharing of the Word, preparing the choir and going round to visit some faithful who stopped coming to church. We gathered some couples at Esse-Ana with the aim to facilitate their training for Holy Matrimony.

E. Challenges

The main challenge we came across was the absence of electricity which handicapped some of our activities. The other challenge was the means to reach stations around Esse-Ana. We reached some stations with motor(hired) and bicycle.

F. Readiness for more

This experience brought new aspects of what we did last year in Cape-Coast (Republic of Ghana) which are teaching (our profession) and going outside the main station. We have seen the need for teaching and the need to go out. We hope the subsequent experience will open the way for us to practice our profession and have time and means to reach out more stations.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

Greetings to everyone from Anchilo (Nampula-Mozambique)

14 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

I am Tito, a Comboni Lay Missionary of the Diocese of Balsas, Maranhão (Brazil).

After a long time of formation and mission and waiting because of Covid, I could finally leave for the mission ad gentes in Mozambique, Africa.

I left Brazil on the 5th and arrived in Mozambique on the 7th at night.

The trip was long and tiring, but nothing stopped me from continuing to reach my final destination where God called and sent me for this mission.

Here I was well received and I am slowly getting to know and adapting to this new reality of life and mission.

Through the intercession of St. Daniel Comboni, may the God of life bless me with a beautiful and blessed mission.

Pray for me, for the Mozambican people and for the mission.

I will be praying for you.

Hugs to all.

Tito, Comboni Lay Missionary.

And as the Macua people say, Salama salama Koxukuru Ampwene Muluku.

GEC in mission

4 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

Yesterday was celebrated the sending Mass of Regimar and Valmir, Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM).

The sending forth took place at the community Nossa Senhora Aparecida, at Ipê Amarelo – Contagem-MG.

The missionary couple decided to go on an overseas mission when they were participating in the GEC (Comboni Spirituality Group) of Balsas. They will travel to Mozambique this Wednesday, January 5th.

Let us continue to accompany this missionary couple with our friendship, prayer and sharing. Daniel Comboni, pray for us.

CLM Brazil