Formation – Page 23 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

“With feet on the ground and a wide horizon”

29 January, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

The Comboni Lay Missionaries of Brazil began the year 2023 with the organization of the face-to-face meeting of the CLM Formative Itinerary that took place from January 15 to 23, at Piquiá in Açailândia/MA. This region is one of the oldest and most continuous presence of the CLM and is a reference point for the work as Comboni Family in the Cause of Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC).

Leonel from Curitiba/PR, Dhenny from Balsas/MA, Diana from Fortaleza/CE and Tranquillo from Serra/ES participated in this beautiful moment of formation, sharing and visits.

This period of living together aims to be a special moment in the discernment process that is already entering its second year, in view of the call of the CLM to serve the Kingdom. It is an opportunity to deepen on Vocation as a call from God, the option and the lifestyle and mission. During these days, the theme of the Social Teaching of the Church was emphasized, with a focus on JPIC – Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, with theoretical formations and visits made to various existing initiatives in the region.

An important moment to reread life and faith and, as baptized people, to rediscover the missionary dimension. “Am I baptized? Then I must be a missionary, otherwise I am not a Christian” (Pedro Casaldáliga).

On the rails of love and friendship our train travels through life.

They were days of learning, living together, and getting cozy. Our itinerary, just like a train trip, takes us to visit places, enjoy the landscape, and enjoy the conviviality of those who share the same faith and walk the same path.

Coming from the four corners, gathered in the small and stunning Piquiá, four people (Diana, Dhenny, Leonel and Tranqüillo) who seek to know and to get to know each other, to learn and to teach, to experience and to dream, together for one more step towards the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) station. This will not be the final station, but the first one, the one that will allow us to follow even more distant trails and tracks.

In our backpack, only what is necessary: the Word of God, a few clothes, many doubts and fears, some small change, and an enormous desire to live it all. We are counting only on our spirituality and on dedicated and abdicated people: Cristina, Marcelo, Adriana, Alexander, Father Carlos, João Carlos, Dida, Father Joseph, Flávio, Liliana and Father Silvério. People who have traveled these paths in the most varied ways and means. People who have opened roads and laid tracks.

Our train set off and on its way received people. People who had fun, people who suffered. People who taught us a lot, not only with their words, but with their actions, their attitudes, and with their lives. To believe that we are transforming agents. That we transform harsh realities of exploitation, deceit, and death into a kingdom of life, sharing, and faith.

Behind bars, we are able to recognize those people who are unwanted, mistreated and excluded from life. People who are able to smile and live again, all it takes is for a young person to feel uncomfortable with the suffering of others, to put together their knowledge and their will, and to serve on the frontiers of imprisonment. Marcelo, thank you for teaching us that stubbornness makes us remove bars and walls in our lives and in the lives of many others.

We got off the train to meet the people of Piquiá. We visited, we walked through hot and dusty streets. But we didn’t walk alone. We counted on the company and the joy of serving Mr. José Albino, Mr. Celso, Dona Margarida and so many other people who come together to celebrate faith and share life. And off we went. In the midst of the people. The sun that illuminates the path and leaves a mark on our skin. We are marked by the words and smiles received. By eyes that don’t see, by hands that don’t touch, by people who are bedridden and badly treated, but resilient and strong. People of faith.

On these paths of life, we are required to make choices. Faced with a reality we have the road to the left and the road to the right. Our answer will always be yes. We will always make the decision to take the road that leads to the Kingdom of God and the poor. Alexander is one of those few who had the courage and the willingness to say the Yes to vocation. A vocation to place himself in the midst of the poor, to serve the most needy, and to help the socially invisible. Alexander teaches us, with his Spanish Portuguese, to learn hard lessons of detachment, to leave the comfortable place in which we were born and forged. With his doubts and questionings, his will to get things done, Alex (as we call him) boards our train and travels with us all along this trail.

To be continued…

Getting ready to leave for Kenya

24 January, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

Hello Everyone 🙂

Greetings from Poland! Almost three weeks ago I started my community experience before going to Kenya. Now I’m 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 😉

Apart from that I spent a few days in Poznań 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.

Y por supuesto, también hablamos sobre el tema principal durante este tiempo – la comunidad. Con Ewa pasamos tiempo juntas, rezamos juntas. Tenemos un día de comunidad a la semana y este tiempo es sólo para nosotras . También visitamos a los Padres Combonianos aquí en Varsovia 🙂

Os mando saludos desde Varsovia 🙂 por favor, rezad por nosotras 🙂

With pray

Marzena

Happy New Year from CLM Kenya!

22 January, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

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!

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!!!

CLM Kenya

Vocation promotion and together with MCCJ and CMS

29 December, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

Taking advantage of Alberto’s 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 Tenías 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 “Amicale” 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.

Justin Nougnui, CLM.

Returning to the CLM path in Mexico…

14 December, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

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; Adán Aguilar, formator and Rocío 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.

Beatriz Maldonado, CLM Mexico