Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Formation

[Portugal] Echoes of the March 2014 meeting

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On 8 and 9 of March, a training meeting of the CLM, in the house of Coimbra, was held. The theme was “The documents of the Church”. The training was led by the CLM Susana Vilas Boas, amazing as always. It was also with us Fr Manuel Lopes.

Despite the complexity and richness of theme, the creativity of the presentations made it to be a nice training around the basic texts of the Church motivating the desire to know. We recognize the importance of the documents to live the faith and mission in communion, as members of the Church of Christ.

The program included the presentation of the most relevant documents for the Mission followed by the reading and debate in group and then sharing together. I transcribe fragments of the selected texts:

  • Humanity can have hope and should have hope: the living and personal Gospel, Jesus Christ himself is the “news” bearer of joy that the Church proclaims every day and who is a witness every day. (Laici Christi fideles)
  • The envoy enters into the life and mission of the One who “emptied himself, take the form of a servant. So, be prepared and be faithful lifetime in a vocation, to resign yourself and all your stuff, and be everything to everyone. (Ad Gentes)
  • With the message of the Gospel, the Church offers a liberating and creative force for development, precisely because it leads to conversion of heart and mind, does recognize the dignity of each person, encourages solidarity, commitment and service for other to insert man in God’s plan which is to build the Kingdom of Peace and Justice, already in this life. (Redemptoris Missio).
  • To each disciple of Christ incumbent the commission to spread the faith, according to his own measure. (Lumen Gentium)

The exchange was synthesized by each one in a word, that we share in the Evening Prayer: commitment, community, communion/community, will, responsibility, humility, generosity and mission.

On Sunday morning, we read the Holy Father’s Francisco message for Lent. Disturbing and challenging: “For the reason of all this is the divine love. A love that is grace, generosity, desire for closeness, which no doubt to give himself and sacrifice for their beloved creatures (…) Do not forget that true poverty hurts”.

The times of prayer set the tone of the meeting and gave meaning and force to our purposes of communion and mission in the Church.

The meeting did not miss the joy, sharing, music, sunshine and flowers…

For all this, Thank goodness!

by Patricia

 

The palace of learning

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The trip to Paris took me to the “palace of learning”, the house of the Comboni Missionary Sister where they gives “shelter” to everyone who wants to know and learn French to better serve the mission.

It was therefore here that I met Palmira. Palmira -Comboni Secular Missionary- has been during two months in Paris studying and preparing herself better to go to the Central African Republic, where she will integrate and collaborate with the CLM community present therein.

Always encouraged, Palmira, looks forward with missionary enthusiasm the time of departure and beyond the current situation of the Central African Republic, far from discourage her, is an incentive to keep going.

“Why do people ask me if I want to depart? Of course I do. I’m here for that and my desire is to be at the service of this mission!” – Said Palmira, full of desire to move forward.

During these days, we managed to contact Elia that rejoices in the strength of Palmira and reaffirmed its willingness to continue to share her life with this people: “There is fatigue, but nothing makes me want to leave. If Palmira comes, then we will be together in this missionary journey. In these difficult times the missionary family is my refuge and help. ”

We also find Veronica who, for professional reasons, is in France since October. Veronica is happy both professionally and at the pastoral level, offering to help Palmira with whatever she needs.

I want to show here my gratitude to Fr Luciano who accompanied me during these days.  To the Comboni Sisters who welcomed me so well, thanks to Veronica for a fabulous dinner which gave us a good missionary moment.  And especially big thanks to Palmira: for all that we have shared during these days.

God walks with us in this way that we continue towards the mission He entrusts to us.

By Susana Vilas Boas

Community Experience in Mission Field in Mexico

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Hi all my CLM friends! Here we send you some of our photos from the Mission Field in our Community Experience, where we spent three months in the mountains of Guerrero, Mexico, in the communities of our Indigenous brothers Mixtecs in the Mission of Metlatónoc. Our CLM headquarters is located in the Community of Huexoapa, and from there we moved 2 days per week to the communities of Cocuilotlaxala and Atzompa.

We were accompanying our colleague Alma Navarro, who is currently the only assigned to this mission, as their companions have already completed their period, and in the Christmas mission field joined us: Manuelita and her mom, and Minerva, which traveled from Mexico City.

In the first month of the experience and mission, we were supported and accompanied by Martha, CLM from Puebla. We have had an experience of God, which has filled us with strength in Christ and with great motivation to remain faithful to our vocation. We are already in the city of Mexico, living in the Comboni Seminary of Xochimilco, and from here, we will continue our missionary training as CLM, which will end in June. On July 6, will be our sending Mass right here, all are invited, and we will also let you know about our sending mass in our home parishes. We do not know where are they going to send us, but God knows and that His will be done on us, we put ourselves in his hands and continue entrusting you our Missionary Work of the CLM, for the Regeneration of Peoples. That Jesus Christ and Mary Missionaries, along with St. Daniel Comboni bless you on your missionary way! Thanks for your prayers and financial support!

A strong embrace to all from Isabel and Carolina!

By Isabel and Carolina CLM from Mexico

A new candidate arrives

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THUS SAYS THE LORD: Behold my servant -I receive- in him my soul delights, I the Lord have called thee for justice and took you by the hand, have formed you and I did so as covenant of the people, starlight for nations, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, shows those who live in darkness.

Valdir

 

After meeting the group of CLM, have made an experience for two months training in our community and mission of Ipê Amarelo in 2013, Valdir Moreira returned to his hometown to reflect and hear more clearly the call of God on his life.

Our reality is a challenge in every way, I think every mission field has its challenges! So do not always expect the return of those who come here for the missionary journey.

But when you put your ear to the heart of the Father who is always calling laborers into the vineyard, urban violence, work, community life, in short, the challenges are small compared to the baptismal commitment.

Jesus crossing the Jordan River leaves father, mother and begins his mission, Jesus stands in the queue of men.

In the footsteps of Jesus, after reflecting Valdir sets out to serve, passes through the State of São Paulo and reaches the state of Minas Gerais.

The footprints of Jesus in Ipê Amarelo

After the party receiving comes time to put their hands to the plow!

Starts training hike, the first meeting started already in the early days of his arrival.

Father Jorge Padovan, our spiritual director is made available to encourage and guide once again a new vocation CLM. Let us pray the God of hope and life under the intercession of St. Daniel Comboni and Our Lady Aparecida to continue pouring blessings on all.

Valdir has also begun working for financial aid, as laymen we live of our sustenance, not to mention those who help us in this way, including offering paying jobs.

Valdir con P JorgeBy Maria Lourdes Vieira

Training for Mission

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A week is not long so we have to take it with passion. Definitely my week in Poland gave a lot of success. This time I wanted to share with everyone about the training time with the international community that is about to leave for Uganda.

We spend three intensive days (morning, afternoon and evening) for training. It was not easy to perform this training in English as it is not the mother tongue of any of us and it needs to be perfected a bit before leaving for mission (they will do so in London from March). However there is no big obstacle when there is will, so we set off. Soon we get the dictionaries of Spanish, Polish and English to succeed in the right word and the mutual aid came immediate. At the end we made it possible (although the head asked for rest at the end of the day for the effort but it was worthy).

I think it was a nice, interesting and necessary week. As the great family that we are, we feel all responsible for this community preparing to break new ground and I think it was important to take time to accompany them. This training time was a time to dialogue and share what it means to be CLM, our vocational call and the dreams that we have as missionaries. To all these ideals that are important to talk before leaving as a community, we added them a good time of deepening and more “professional” learning of our stay and service in the Mission.

To fix the pillars of this community we worked all morning and part of the afternoon of the second day in them, providing all our expectations and confronting specific experiences, doubts and dreams of other CLM.

Then we talked about the importance of inculturation, the knowledge of others and of ourselves to not move European models and to give the time and space to the other, lest we fall into the trap of transferring our solutions to others but to help each person, each people, may have its own voice and find their own solutions.

The last day we talked a little about the importance of approaching and knowing reality in depth, listen and silence a lot to understand well and have enough time to share our lives, knowing first the new environment and its people (what makes up their identity).

And finally ended up talking about our beloved Comboni and what it meant for each of us, the challenges posed to us for being Comboni Missionaries, the style, methodology, passion and commitment of which we are inheritors and debt fidelity. All this things as CLM and as Comboni Family. We want this to be our reference, also there in Gulu (Uganda) where we aim to work from the community, from the Comboni family and from the reality and needs of the people, open to learn every day and contribute the best of ourselves.

Personally it was a very rich time, which also allowed me to better understand this community and strengthen bonds.

I hope they always feel sheltered by all of us. They are sent throughout the movement and as such we will be supporting them.