Formation – Page 94 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

The laity in the Evangelization

4 February, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

During the 24th, 25th and 26th Januarythe laity in training met in the house of Coimbra for another meeting. To this was joined Fr Manuel Lopes, Carlos Barros, Liliana, who recently came to the mission and Pedro, with his family, as a trainer.

The issue on which we have focused our study on which was discussed was “The laity in evangelization.”

In this contemporary, globalized world, the man believes in practice more than in theory. The living testimonies become more credible and attractive for contemplation and faith for a stronger and more plentiful dedication. Thus we show that the laity is so important in the process of evangelization as any other agent, since it is through baptism that we receive this responsibility.

God is not indifferent to anyone. And it is for this reason that in His eyes, we are all responsible for spreading His Word, Fount of Life. When I answer “yes” to Christ, I promise and agree as my Creed presenting Him as my identity and passport to the other. Moved by God, Faith and Love, Lay Missionary hold in their hands the announcement of this merciful, compassionate, fair, good and stripped Christ. It comes with the happy and passionate face of God, the one true God that with all shares without distinction.

Nobody is a missionary alone. The testimony involves the commitment of all believers – “Participation in the universal mission (…) is the sign of a mature faith and Christian life that bears fruit” (John Paul II).

Liliana, fresh from his mission in Mozambique, also joined us and shared her testimony. It was with some excitement and joy that we listen to, allowing us to travel a bit through the memories that she has entrusted to us.

Another moment of equal importance and full of meaning was the call from Sister Carmo Ribeiro. She could not join us at this meeting because of her health status not so good, but humbly offered. Love also brings this dimension of suffering. Suffering, however, with meaning and dignity. This sacrifice comes, once again, to confirm that the work of evangelization requires the commitment of all of us.

We all are grateful for the contribution of this weekend. Thank you very much for the welcome, and for sharing the beautiful displays of Hope, Life and Friendship.

By Marisa Almeida

New CLM international community in Krakow

31 January, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

This is what it means to be a missionary, be able to accept the changes with joy and hope wherever they take us and with the brothers and sister you find. And it’s much easier when I discover with enthusiasm, that also in Krakow I feel at home and like a family member. The community has welcomed me with love, and the meeting of my new companions for adventure has made only increase my desire to get to Africa. An international community, three Polish and one Spanish lady, speaking English and with the intention and desire to learn quickly the Acholi.

We are Monika, Ewa, Asia and Carmen, and despite the cold Polish winter there is a very warm feeling in our hearts and all willingness to walk this path together as a community. We don´t know if it is the desire that we all have but we have connected really good and the atmosphere we breathes is wonderful.

We continue with the training process trying to assimilate and internalize things as necessary as knowing who we are (Comboni Lay Missionaries), our history and what it means to integrate and enter in a different and unfamiliar culture, that we want to approach with the utmost respect.

I think we’re a team that is going to complement quite well, where there is much freshness and the joy of living the Gospel and the Mission, as Pope Francisco is reminding us and that we will try not to forget at any time in our experience in Gulu (Uganda).

It could not have been more positive beginning of this year with my family, the Comboni family, with the Polish laity and the Comboni Fathers in the community of Krakow. Together they manage to transmit the idea, that we all dream, of unity and enthusiasm for a common goal: to follow Jesus next to the last.

Carmen Aranda Arnao. CLM

Echoes of Christmas 2013 meeting

26 December, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

“All different, but all united in Comboni wearing the face and the Word of Jesus Christ here and beyond.”

We begin by thanking all those who have contributed directly or indirectly to make possible this Christmas gathering. We are grateful to Sandra for organizing the meeting, to Sister Carmen Ribeiro, Brother Paul and the secular missionary Joanna and Paula for sharing all that is essential for us, LMC candidates, to understand in particular this missionary vocation of the Comboni family. Thanks also to Father Avelino who shared his missionary experience and celebrated the Eucharist. Thanks, finally, to all others not mentioned but that they worked hard to make the meeting possible.

This meeting was full of smiles, hugs, moments of conviviality and animated dynamic. It was the sharing of a joy that with Jesus Christ reborn endlessly. This was a family reunion. We truly felt as a family. We are in the same boat and we rowed in the same direction. In this boat where they are not only all those with whom we live this weekend, but all the other members of the Comboni family no matter where they are and where are they from. We feel with renewed strength and with real and physical certainty of knowing united, not by blood, but by the same creator and make us share the same mission. All different in our vocation but all united in Comboni wearing the face and the Word of Jesus Christ here and there.

By Paula Sousa (Portugal)

We share the joy of the CLM group of Mexico.

19 December, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

On the 21st of October has started the communal experience of Ma Isabel Buenrostro and Carolina Carrear, with some unusual anomalies, they had to start with the mission experience, as the missionary community in Huexuapa, Guerrero, has been left with a single element for family situations while someone decides to go to team up with Alma Rosa Navarro, they will be in the mission until 31 January, to continue his training in Mexico city.

They support in catechetical pastoral, liturgical and pastoral indigenous as well as in their professional work, since one is a doctor and the other has technique degree in childcare.

We entrust to your prayers.

A hug. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Manuela CLM from Mexico

A special training community

22 November, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

Last weekend we were in Madrid visiting Palmira and Carmen.

Within our Comboni family is normal for each missionary to prepare thoroughly before departing for mission. We always try to give the best of ourselves and this training is a must.

In this case we have a very unique training experience. Palmira Pinheiro is a Portuguese Secular Comboni Missionary who came to Spain to prepare before heading to the Central African Republic, makes this preparation with Carmen Aranda, Spanish Comboni Lay Missionary, also preparing to leave for the same mission. Without any doubt is a unique experience. It is a community of international training and also between members of different branches of the Comboni Family. This provides a unique wealth of experience and is a challenge for the trainer team accompanying the experience composed of Spanish CLM (Mercedes, Luis and Isidro) and Antonio Guirao Comboni missionary.

There is another peculiarity, this time this lay community include three others (a couple and a bachelor) from another association of Spanish lay missionaries (OCASHA).

This collaboration is the result of the Comboni family interrelationship that we have in the different countries and internationally, as well as the coordination and collaboration work that is performed within the CALM (coordination for the Associations of Lay Missionaries in Spain).All this reminds me of the dream that Comboni already had in the mid-S. XIX claimed the Council Vatican I (following his plan for the Regeneration of Africa): “The responsibility of the mission should be Catholic, not just Spanish or French or German or Italian. All Catholics should help poor black people … with our plan we aim to pave the way for the entry of the Catholic faith among all tribes across the territory inhabited by Africans. And for this, I think, should unite all the l initiatives”.

In a language of his time Comboni encouraged us to leave our limitations and particularism. He encouraged us to put the needs of the most neglected continent and its people, as a top priority. And all together we set to serve “the poorest and most abandoned” (as he said).

This Comboni´s dream of collaboration without interest among all it´s realized in this training community so varied as international .The whole Church in the service of the needy.

The rest of the weekend, Carlos and I continued working some issues of the CLM Central Committee. Happy and excited to see how these companions with availability and illusion are prepared for missionary service in Central Africa.

Once complete the missiology course of three months (where prepared with the other Spanish missionaries going out from this year), they will complete their training and perfecting the language in France. There, they will be living with the Comboni Missionary Sisters (more collaboration within the family) but we keep that story for later and we certainly encourage them to tell about it.

Greetings to all. Alberto