JPIC_en – Page 23 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

News from the CLM Liliana and Flávio – The Harvest Festival in Piquiá, Brazil

11 September, 201711 September, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

Last Sunday, June 9, the Harvest Festival was held in the community of San José of the settlement of João do Vale part of the parish of Santa Luzía de Piquiá, Brazil. It was attended by more than a thousand people from the various parishes of the city of Acailândia and by Bishop Vilson Basso of Emperatriz.

The goal of this celebration, already in its 10^th edition, is to celebrate the gift of the harvest and to reflect on the earth as the venue of work and means of subsistence for the family, to remember the struggles and demand justice in the right to own land and in respecting creation.

This year’s theme was “Family agriculture in defense of life” and the motto was “Cultivation and the care of creation” as per Genesis 2:15.

The celebration opened with a welcome in the local sports center and with a breakfast prepared with the local products of the earth (manioc, pumpkin and a variety of fruit) coming from the sharing of the various communities in attendance. The Eucharist followed, during wich Bishop Vilson Basso spoke of the importance of family agriculture and of the duty to fight for ownership of the land and to denounce the oppressors. He stressed the importance of not giving up, because it is a just struggle, and also of the need for unity. He also remembered the 10 farmers who were murdered in a ranch in the State of Pará (https://www.cptnacional.org.br/index.php/publicacoes-2/destaque/3794-chacina-em-redenca-pa-deixa-pelo-menos -10-posseiros muertos) and all those who are persecuted or coerced to leave their land.

At the offertory, the various communities presented at the Lord’s altar some of their agricultural products as a sign of gratitude and of hope in a more respectful relationship between humankind and creation.

After lunch, there were many cultural shows in the form of theatre, dances and games, ending with the handing over to each community of a sapling of Ipê and with the announcement of the community that will hold the festival next year.
Liliana Ferreira and Flávio Schmidt, CLM in Brazil

Summer school in Ethiopia

7 September, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

What is the best way of spending holiday? This question was not in the mind of children living in the neighborhood of the clinic I work in. They mostly come from poor, large families and their parents cannot afford any holiday activities for them. Time just passes while they get bored. We decided to take them out of this summer idleness.

Using their time, which they have in overabundance and financial means received by the group of Polish Comboni Lay Missionaries, we tried to make for them something pleasant and useful at the same time. We organized the summer school. 80 boys and girls of age from 12 to 18 took part in that. Children were divided into three groups: older boys and girls separately and youngest students –together. Each group attended in 1-week program.

We started each day with a prayer “Our Father”. During the classes they were taught about nutritious food, hygiene, environment protection, family planning method and first aid. They were taught about problems facing teenagers ie. addictions, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, abortions, female genital mutilation and forced early marriages.

For the purpose of better perceiving of the knowledge many of the lessons were conducted as outdoor activities: practical exercises or games. After the classes about nutritious food children went to do some gardening, when they learnt how to make patches and plant vegetables. At the end of the hygiene lesson toothbrushes and toothpastes were distributed and all children brushed their teeth. Lecture of the first aid, when short “what-to-do” movies were shown, was followed by practical exercises, where young students played roles of fainted, burnt and choked people as well as their lifesavers. During one of the games they learnt how to behave in a good manner – for example when seeing white person better to greet him instead of calling “youyouyou”. What they learnt during all the week they painted during the last lesson.

One of the classes concerned the creation of the world. There were shown pictures proving beauty of the world created by God, ie. wonderful landscapes of Ethiopia, beautiful sunset at the Awassa lake, at the side they live. Just after that there were presented photos of the rubbish scattered in their neighborhood. After this short lecture we went with zeal to pick-up the rubbish from the clinic compound.

During the school break each student received a pack of biscuits. Every child received daily nutritious lunch: injera with different vegetables, what could be consider as a good example of nutritious food they learnt about during their classes. The school has ended with official graduation ceremony, where certificates of attendance were distributed. Every student as a gift received a school set, consisting of exercise books, a pen, a pencil, and a sharpener, what for many families was a significant reduction of the household expenses. Additionally, twelve the most active students received an extra math’s set (compass, ruler, setsquare).

Everyone like the school so much. Teachers were happy that students were interested in all the subjects. Children are already waiting for another summer school next year.

Tobiasz Lemański, CLM Etiophia

Mission News from the Republic of Central Africa

5 May, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

The Comboni Lay Missionary María Augusta Pires, who is stationed in Mongoumba, CAR sends us news whenever she goes through Bangui, the capital, which is the only place where she can find internet access. Here you find the latest news she sent last April.

This time I returned to Bangui early after one month. Since I was feeling tired, I took a test for malaria and it turned out positive. I have started the treatment while the symptoms are still few, so that the reaction to the medication will be less strong and there is less pain. Ana had malaria two weeks ago and feels tired, because we had with us a dentist from Poland and she accompanied her all the time for almost three weeks. In each village there were lots of teeth to be pulled. There was no possibility to treat cavities because we could not move the equipment. Thanks be to God, it helped lots of people who were in pain. Ordinarily this can be done only in Bangui and it is very expensive, with one extraction costing about F10,000 ($18). Some people needed two or three extractions and we charge a symbolic F500, which is less than $1.00.

Fr. Fernando and Fr. Jesús are fine, thanks be to God. Fr. Samuel had malaria early in March and again last week. Now he has typhoid fever (Salmonella). He will have to take one or two antibiotics. May the Lord help him to get well soon… he is a little discouraged… Please, pray for him.

María, a Pygmy woman who has cancer, was feeling a little better. But last week she started having serious diarrhea. We gave her medication to stop it, but it did not. So we started the malaria treatment with injections and immediately she improved. She has slimmed down a lot and now she needs better food. We shared our food with her to give her a more varied diet and we hope she will improve faster. Let us continue to pray to Mary and to her son Jesus.

Last week, twins were born to a mother without milk and she needed help. At this time we are taking care of nine babies. With God’s help and the generosity of those who share to help the poorest, we can work with joy and so share things with those around us.

Two weeks ago, while I was visiting the sick in the hospital, I met a woman who had had a cesarean but who, after three days, still had no milk. They asked me for milk, but I insisted that she needed to do all in her power first to make it come. So I gave her a menthol infusion and on the second day, it started coming a little. We repeated it for two more days and, thanks be to God, Patrice began to suckle well. Mother’s milk is always the best and even more here where milk is very expensive and the hygienic conditions are very poor (the hygienic care of the baby bottles and of the water used to mix the milk). A year supply of baby milk costs about $450. Very few families can afford to buy it.

During Lent, the Wednesday Mass is said in a neighborhood and on Friday the way of the Cross takes place in the same neighborhood. On Friday it will the youth of the whole parish who will take part in the JMJ. On Saturday we will have formation and on Palm Sunday it will be a great celebration. Last week, the catechumens [people preparing to be baptized] of the third year had a three day retreat and on Sunday they received the Oil of Catechumens. Since they are many, it is easier to celebrate baptism in stages.

A new CLM, Simone, who is from Italy, has arrived. He is here learning French in Bangui and we still do not know where he will go to study Sango [the local language].

I have read with joy the entire Astrolabios messages [she gets them by e-mail] and pray that the visit of D. Virgilio will yield much fruit in the future. May the pastoral visit be a success.

That the hearts of his faithful may receive with joy the bishop’s words. I pray that they may improve their lives as Christians and be true witnesses of Christ.

Best wishes of a Happy Easter to all.

United in Christ through prayer.

A missionary hug as big as the world.

María Augusta Pires

Published in the Astrolabio Diary

Comboni Friends’ meeting in Awassa.

21 April, 201718 April, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

The Comboni Lay Missionary of Ethiopia is collaborating with the Comboni´s friends group.

Part of this collaboration is on organization and formation of this group of lay people.

We have celebrated a meeting in Awassa where we talked about Social Teaching of the Church, but also about how St. Daniel Comboni cared for slaves and the most abandoned people.

There was also time for meditation of Bible fragments on which STC is based and some sharing.

It was really good meeting.

Madzia Plekan. CLM Ethiopia

You Are Christmas

31 December, 2016 by Alberto de la Portilla

On December 17 we met in Bologna, Italy, to prepare for Christmas, to be surprised by a baby who is born – being surprised by seeing God who turns into an infant out of love for us.

We wanted to live as a group a gathering that would have the flavor of this marvelous waiting. It is a waiting that holds our attention, an announcement leading to love and a love leading to God.

We listened to the Word in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 2:8-20) and together we built the crib. Each one of us took a shepherd and we placed ourselves near the baby Jesus, reading this prayer and making it our own:

You are Christmas, when you decide to be born again every day and let God enter your soul.

You are Christmas, when you sing to the world a message of peace, justice and love.

Christmas is when you lead someone to meet the Lord.

You, too, are one of the Magi when you give of the best of what you have, independently of who the recipient is.

You are the Christmas music, when you achieve internal harmony.

You are the Christmas wishes, when you forgive and bring about peace, even as you suffer.

Endurace is a new member of our group: a young Nigerian who shared with us his difficulties as an immigrant and the agonies he underwent in order to get to Italy.

In our intentions we remember the tragedy of immigration and the many deaths shrouded by our indifference and our silence.

To accept all this and to make ourselves small is the Christmas that challenges us every day, not just on December 25.

Emma also took part in our meeting. She has just return from three years of mission in Brazil.

She told us her story, her missionary journey from the CLM of Bologna and those of Brazil.

She showed us visuals of her service in prison ministry, in the peripheries of Contagem, her experience with the homeless in Salvador. Her words and the witness of her mission ad gentes were beautiful and powerful. Welcome back to the group to resume the journey with us!

The gathering ended with a community supper to which every member contributes something and where we mention important events:

The midnight Mass celebrated with the homeless at the station, and the march for peace on December 31 in Bologna.

We are very happy with these two initiatives that see us involved together with other social and missionary organizations, something that implies the participation of all since it is only by working together that we build and change the world.

Merry Christmas to all… no one excluded!

CLM of Bologna