Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Formation

Visit to the Polish CLM group

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LMC Polonia

Before Christmas, I could visit the CLM Group in Poland.

As always, visit Poland is a joy and a moment to feel in family. From the host receive from Anna and Fr Chris at the airport until the last day. The first night I went to dinner with CLM community that was in training, we had a nice time walking the streets of Krakow, watching the Christmas atmosphere and keeping out of the winter cold.

The first days I worked with Kasia, Magda and Anna. It was an intense period of training, talked about community life, the CLM internationally, countries where they will go, intercultural relations, the period of inculturation, the presence and missionary methodology and other practical aspects of the mission.

We also had time to connect via Skype with Barbara in Italy and share with her some time about the experience of community formation that each of them was living. We also discussed how it would be the period of common formation that she and Kasia have in Portugal (where the Portuguese CLM Group in Braga now accompanies them).

During the weekend, the house was filled with young people from the CLM Group in Poland. We share a weekend where we could talk about the organization of the CLM internationally, the challenges we are facing calmly and respond to all questions that new CLM candidates had about the movement. It was also time to talk personally, to share concerns about the mission and even the possibilities for future incorporations to CLM and also for mission (hopefully they come true).

In addition, we get some time with the new coordinating team. Facing forward to this new commitment. As a new group does not have much experience in the field but their enthusiasm and desire to do things right make up. Michal was already in the coordinating team in the past as treasurer, now becomes coordinator, for her part Krystyna joins with enthusiasm and with Fr Chris (and the support of others MCCJ in Poland) face forward this missionary service. From the Central Committee we will be helping in any way we can.

During the weekend, we also had time to pray and celebrate Christmas together, sharing good wishes one to each other for the year that soon began.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon after the meeting, I could accompany Anna to say goodbye to her hospital patients and their fellow volunteers with whom she has worked over the past years. Leave a service to serve elsewhere. That’s the life of the missionary.

Magda is now studying English in London to Ethiopia, Anna is studying French in Congo with Congolese CLM before going to Central African Republic and Kasia meets Barbara in Portugal to perfect their Portuguese before going together to Mozambique.

A great joy to share the enthusiasm for the missionary sending. May the Lord bless them and all CLM groups and youth (one for age and other of spirit) who come to discern their vocation and prepare to serve as missionaries wherever there is a great need.

Greetings

Alberto

First Day – International PI (immediate preparation) community

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Braga

It was with great enthusiasm and attention that the Academic Community of Braga was with Kasia and Barbara on this first day for these CLM in Portugal.

During this event, organized by the University Pastoral of Braga, the CLM shared their life stories and their missionary testimony at this time before departure for the mission of Carapira.

CLM Portugal

Training International community in Portugal

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Portugal LMC

We are happy because we have just received from Barbara (Italian CLM) and Kasia (Polish CLM) that will stay with us until April to learn Portuguese. This preparation aims the preparation before departure for the mission of Carapira, Mozambique.

During this time, both will share many moments with us and together we will walk toward a greater internationalization of our CLM family.

We welcome them and we ask you for prayers for this time of specific training before their missionary service.

CLM Portugal

Visit to the CLM group in Portugal

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LMC Portugal

Before Christmas, I was invited by the CLM from Portugal to share with them their Christmas meeting.

This is an important meeting for the CLM group, where candidates and CLM meet to get formation, pray and celebrate Christmas together.

We met in the house of the MCCJ in Viseu. It was a weekend full of many important moments.

On arrival at Lisbon, they were waiting for me and we could dine in Pedro´s home before travel by car to Viseu. There we went slowly reaching the different participants from all places in Portugal. A moment of gathering with the CLM and meet all those who are preparing and discerning their missionary vocation.

We began with Mass in the morning where we also find Comboni fathers, brothers and sisters. During the morning, we talked with the group about the history and organization of CLM internationally. From the group’s questions we were entering in part of our history, of the decisions we have been taking to grow as a family and especially of how we have been doing reality, through the commitment and dedication of many, this missionary vocation.

The second part of the morning we used to enter into the commitments of Maia, see how we are trying to carry out and explain the support that from the Central Committee we tried to give to all groups to enable the challenges agreed.

The afternoon was spent touring the city of Viseu, giving hugs, thinking and praying about the year of mercy, doing missionary animation and talking to people about the challenge of mercy throw us this year by Pope Francisco. All this in an entertaining Gymkhana. All these experiences were able to share in the evening prayer.

We spent the night sharing the testimony of my beautiful years of Mozambique. A time to talk about vocation and missionary service.

On Sunday, we worked on practical aspects of the next CLM European assembly of this summer to be held in Portugal. A nice welcome challenge for the group of Portuguese candidates and CLM that will host the 5 European countries that give us appointment in August. Also a time to speak of missionary animation and finding the funds needed to carry out the mission.

At the end, the Eucharist served as conclusion and thanksgiving for this beautiful time.

I said nothing of the many Christmas sweets who joined us for the weekend, and the numerous conversations we were able to keep, a great part of the meeting. Of course, I encourage those who have doubts, touches off the couch and find which path to which the Lord calls us. In Portuguese CLM Group, you will find a good place to reflect, discern and be accompanied on this missionary service.

Christmas Greetings

Our journey forward

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Comboni

With joy, we received the message of the Provincial Rev. Fr Miante appointing Rev. Fr Philip Zema to continue the journey with our group. As soon as we received the message, we announced it to other members and planned with the chaplain to have our first encounter at Mafi-Kumase on the 12th December.

The meeting started at 10 o’clock a.m. The chaplain gave us some thoughts to prepare us for the Christmas. He emphasized on the development of our prayer life. As lay people, we have to witness the Good News through our daily life. He compared our CLM service to the ministry of the brothers which is social. It will be so sensitive to people with whom we are living to see us occupied in praying in our families and at our work place. He said that the Muslims in this aspect are model for us. “The secularization takes us far away from God, the prayer brings us back” he quoted. He said Jesus recommends us to pray, St Comboni recommends to his missionaries to be prayerful and as we are aspiring to be Comboni Missionaries, the recommendation is then for us too.

After this, we proceeded to self-introduction. We then briefed Fr about our journey till now. He was very happy and eager to continue the formation process with us. He demonstrated in his plan a very great interest to render the service demanded from him by the Provincial and his Counsel also very interested in seeing us grown. In this joy, we did not hesitate to agree on the coming meeting at the same place on the 9th January, 2016. After the concluding prayer with the blessing, we shared with our chaplain and one of his confreres a familial meal.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Justin Nougnui.