Mission animation – Comboni Lay Missionaries

The Mission Continues

9 September, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

During the week of August 23–30, Vocations Month, we experienced moments of deep Comboni spirituality here at the Comboni Mission in Piquiá, in Açailândia, in the state of Maranhão, in northeastern Brazil.

These were days marked by strong participation from the people of this region, where the Comboni Missionaries—priests, brothers, and laypeople—have been working for 35 years.

There were Masses, gatherings, visits, moments of sharing, and fellowship. And this past Sunday, the 30th, a Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated for this entire missionary journey and for the 25th anniversary of the priestly ordination of Fr. Joseph Mumus Mumbere, currently parish priest of St. Luzia Parish in Piquiá.

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Vilsom Basso of Imperatriz and concelebrated by four Comboni priests who have served in Piquiá over the course of these 35 years, along with the Comboni Lay Missionaries present there.

Tito and Regimar

CLM married couple at the Piquiá Mission.

CONJUCOM 2026 – Peru “Passion for the Mission and Life in Communion”

4 September, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

The C.L.M.-TRUJILLO-PERU shared activities with the young people at the Comboni Youth Congress held from August 3 to 7. With great joy and hope for growth in the missionary work, enlightened by the Holy Spirit and the charism of St. Daniel Comboni, the young people fill us with enthusiasm. We need young people determined to proclaim social justice for the poorest and to spread the Gospel of Christ, following in the footsteps of St. Daniel Comboni: “I die, but my work will not die.”

It was a gathering of brothers and sisters, united by a shared commitment to walk together with one heart and one goal: to be the living Church wherever we find ourselves. On this occasion, we shared experiences from our pastoral ministry at the Sacred Heart of Jesus—Lord of Miracles Parish—and interacted with various delegations from the regions and MCCJ priests, our guides.

One of our pastoral activities is the launch of a productive project:

“the establishment of a sewing workshop, using textile waste as raw materials and creating sustainable opportunities that benefit the community of Túpac Amaru.”

The goal is to generate income, reduce costs to optimize productivity, and promote entrepreneurship and creativity among community members. We aim to uphold environmental practices centered on “care for our common home” by reducing the amount of waste we produce, reusing and repurposing discarded textiles, and recycling fabric to create new products—primarily GIN fabric; whose degradation in the soil causes chemical pollution from heavy dyes and the accumulation of synthetic microplastics, which severely alters the pH, damages the microbiota, and accelerates soil erosion.

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“CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME IS ALSO AN EXPRESSION OF FAITH” (LAUDATO SI, key points from paragraph 210).

Teodolinda Chinguel Núñez, CLM Peru.

African Day 2026

27 May, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

We’d like to share with you this conversation organized by AMANI, a Spanish NGO that collaborates with the CLM, featuring the coordinator of the Central Committee of the Comboni Lay Missionaries.

In this video, he shares a glimpse of Africa—particularly from the perspective of the LMC present on the continent—covering some history, dreams, and the commitment to remain faithful to the missionary vocation inspired by St. Daniel Comboni. (Video in Spanish)

A day to remember for CLM Kenya

24 February, 202624 February, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

February 19 will be remembered as a special day in the history of our missionary community

On this day, Neema Makori – as the first among the Kenyan Lay Comboni Missionaries – departed for a three-year mission to the Central African Republic. This event carries special significance – it is a sign of the growth and maturity of the missionary vocation of the laity in Kenya, and a beautiful testimony of courage, faith, and readiness to serve those most in need.

A missionary departure is not only a journey to another country. It is a response to the call of the heart, a decision to share life with the local community, to be close to people in their daily joys and struggles. Three years of service is a time for building relationships, learning a new culture and language, and growing together in faith.

Before her departure, Neema was bid farewell by fr. Maciek, Comboni Lay Missionaries and her closest family members. It was a moment filled with emotion, prayer, and gratitude. Together, they entrusted her journey to God, asking for the necessary graces, strength, health, and peace of heart throughout her mission.

We are proud and grateful for her witness. May this new chapter be a time of abundant fruits, mutual enrichment, and a deep experience of God’s presence each day.

Neema – we are with you in heart and prayer!

CLM Kenya

Manos Unidas Campaign 2026

17 February, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

Once again, Manos Unidas, a Spanish Catholic organization that raises funds to help people around the world, has launched its campaign against hunger. With the slogan “Declare war on hunger,” it has called on people to combat the structural causes of poverty, inequality, and injustice.

For our part, we continue to collaborate as volunteers in the campaign, helping to raise awareness about these realities.

Our role is simple: to bear witness to our missionary life and explain firsthand some of the projects we have seen financed by Manos Unidas in our mission. This is not just any organization, but the way in which the Spanish Church is committed to the realities of impoverished countries and collaborates with them. Most of its funds come from this campaign, which is carried out by parishes throughout Spain every second Sunday in February, and it is time to report on it to all the people who offer their help each year.

This year we have had the opportunity to visit several parishes. Often what we do is attend weekend Masses and share our mission experience and the realities of different countries where we have been as missionaries at the end of the Eucharist or after the homily.

It is very nice to see how in some parishes, such as La Encarnación in Bormujos (Seville), the whole community gets involved in the campaign. Catechists, children, and young people work during the week to help raise awareness in the community, while volunteers organize charity markets or activities such as hunger dinners.

Also, in the parishes of Cerro, Ascensión, and Los Ángeles in Seville East, the volunteers of Manos Unidas and the parish priests lovingly prepare the Masses for that weekend. At the last one, we not only had the opportunity to share in the Eucharist, but also to give our testimony to the adult catechesis group. It was an hour in which we were able to delve deeper into these realities and share photos and a deeper understanding of the causes of these situations and the struggle these countries are undergoing to move forward. In reality, our help as missionaries or our support for certain Manos Unidas projects is nothing more than support for the work and sacrifice that the communities carry out. These communities are the real protagonists and the ones who teach us so much about resilience, about not losing hope, about being creative when you have few resources. We learn so many things from them that it is only fair to share them with our communities of origin at this time.

We hope that the faith and energy they show will also revitalize our communities in Spain and that we will be able to collaborate in building a more just world for all.

Best regards, Alberto and Maricarmen.