Mission animation – Page 16 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Missionary Exhibit and Meeting in Guatemala

9 April, 20176 April, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

“Saints and able, making common cause with the poor and the needy” (St. Daniel Comboni)

We, the CLM of the PCA in Guatemala want to let you know that on the Saturday, April 1, organized a mission exhibit and a meeting at Casa Comboni, Guatemala. We joined with the missionaries of the parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria, with whom, since February 2016, we are cooperating in their missionary formation.

The parish is St. Catherine of Alexandria is in Santa Catarina Pinula, a municipality of the department of Guatemala City, located about 10 miles from the capital.

In some areas, this population is subjected to extreme poverty and crime because of the gangs, It is one of the “red Zones” of the city.

The objective of our activity was to invite the Comboni Missionaries living in Guatemala city so that their two communities, the CLM and the “missionaries of Catherine (as we call them with affection)would share with words and through visual aids, some of the experiences of 2016 and the missionary projects we have in store for 2017.

We enjoyed the presence of the Comboni Missionaries Fr. Pasquale Miniero, Fr. Carlos Rodríguez, Fr. Antonio Maria Bruyel, Fr. Vicente Clemente and, of course, our moderator Bro. Humberto Rua. The one who thought up this event was also present: Fr. Walter Santizo, a Guatemalan diocesan priest and the pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

At the end we shared a delicious lunch.

The basic idea by which the CLM of the PCA in Guatemala started this year is” “Saints and able united in a common cause to help the poorest and most needed.” This is how St. Daniel Comboni wants his missionaries to be.

We trust in Providence and entrust ourselves to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, just as St. Daniel Comboni taught us to do. God always walks ahead of us, shedding light on the path leading to the most needy.

CLM Guatemala

Aguilectores in Sahuayo 2017: living the values in the family with Black Smoke

21 February, 201715 February, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

Last weekend, the Aguilectores (readers of the Comboni´s missionary magazine for children) annual meeting was held in an atmosphere of joy, sharing moments of prayer, games, dynamics, food and topics of current interest, which led them to become aware of their reality.

It was inaugurated with a moment of animation with songs and dances for children. This help to integrate them in teams with missionary colors to begin the contest of drawings, whose theme was the values in the family. This motivated them to join as a team, to get points and be the winning team, their prize is to publish them in our magazine.

In their analysis of reality, Internet, social networks, as well as mobile phones that have been addictive for most of them, could not be lacking. Therefore, they agreed to select three rules to use them properly, recognizing that they are useful today for our life. The rules are as follows: 1) make a schedule to use them, 2) obey at the first moment to our parents / guardians, 3) use internet in the company of an adult.

The main theme of our day was “LIVING THE VALUES IN THE FAMILY WITH BLACK SMOKE”, teacher Rosita and her children explained some of the values that have great importance for a healthy family coexistence, such as: Belonging, faith, forgiveness, honesty, curiosity, respect, flexibility, communication and generosity. All the children participated very kindly giving contributions of their own family experience, revealing to us how important it is for them to belong to a natural family.

At noon, we celebrated the Eucharist for the children, at the end we continued with a march through the streets near the park. The prayer of the rosary was interspersed with songs and batons. Concluding the event with a fraternal meal among the children and collaborators making alive the joy of the gospel.

Because of the affluent of participants, we have started a new project of missionary formation for children every Saturday from 09:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with headquarters in Uganda Martyrs’ Park.

We will wait for you!

Carlos Manuel Castillo Villanueva.

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

Promoting “Comboni Friends”

9 December, 20167 December, 2016 by Alberto de la Portilla

In Ethiopia, we are planning to revitalize the group of Comboni Friends and maybe later through this group also find some vocations for the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM).

Last weekend it has been a good occasion for vocation promotion. We celebrated the Feast of Christ the King (two weeks later than the rest of the Catholic World).

The main celebrations took place in the cathedral of Addis Ababa. There was 2-days of special program. Saturday started with exhibitions of different congregations and lay movements; we were presented our CLM.

There was also a spiritual time – on Saturday adoration, prayers, conferences and confessions; – on Sunday: the solemn Holy Mass in the geez rite.

It was a really nice time of prayer & meetings with the people, some of them showed also interest to get to know our group better. So pray for all of us that, if it’s God’s will, the group starts and will grow well 🙂

CLM Ethiopia

Interview with Sandra Fagundes (Portuguese CLM)

6 September, 2016 by Alberto de la Portilla

We let you here an interview for “netra radio católica (Catholic radio)” to our colleague Sandra Fagundes at the “Missão Jovem 2016 (Youth Mission 2016)” meeting.