Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Mission animation

Final Vows of Sr. Lilia (Comboni Missionary Sister in Carapira)

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The mission team from Carapira held a big party on March 15, celebrating the birth of St. Daniel Comboni and the lives that continue consecrating. On this day was the sister Lilia Karina Navarrete Solis, who made her perpetual profession, with the slogan “I consecrated you and appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Known as Sister Lily, is a Mexican citizen and works as director of the Health Centre in Carapira. Everything took place in a family atmosphere with the presence of officials of the Health Center, parochial and religious leaders of the Diocese of Nacala and Nampula, among other guests. After the celebration presided by the Bishop of the Diocese of Nacala, Don Germano, we shared lunch. The CLM join together the team that helped acclimate the place, serving food, washing dishes, tidying everything back in place and supporting in every way possible. Sister Teresina, apart from the head of the organization, was also the godmother of the profession.

This is always an appropriate time for missionary animation. Thus, the lay group prepared a panel entitled “Daniel Comboni inspired”, which featured images and short texts about the four branches of the Comboni Family: Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Missionary Sisters, Secular Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries.

Let us pray for sister Lilia and all vocations!

We are together!

CLM Carapira

Walking strong in a faith with the truth and the knowledge

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The weekend of 21, 22 and 23 February the community of life of Porto joined the parish of Grijó for another missionary animation. The meeting began with a reflection and exchange on the encyclical Lumen Fidei where we could reflect upon faith as the most beautiful expression of love for God. But a faith walking strong with the truth and the knowledge, a faith rooted in God and whose trunk strengthen us with the truth, with daily reflection on the Word of God. So, in fact, “As it is light, faith invites us to penetrate it, always more to explore the horizon that illuminates, to better understand what we love.” (LF 36).

It was in this sense that moved by this faith that drives us to always learn more, we share the charism of being Comboni Lay Missionary in the world, we share testimonies of missionary experiences, let challenges in a walk of faith and commitment into a walk of missionary animation for youth. In this way we gave voice to the project KWE ZO ZO – “Every person is a person”, to the JIM´s project (young missionary commitment) and shared with the parish community the gift of being CLM. But for all this to be possible, many collaborated with us. So we want to thank everyone who helped us, from the parish priest, the deacon, the sexton, all catechists, the youth group, the groups of catechesis and the whole entire parish community that welcomed us so well and that generously contributed to the project.

Along our route we tried to interpellate each person in their life, in their routine and simplicity tries to follow the call to holiness, to love this God always gracious and merciful. As Jesus challenged us in the Gospel, “Be ye therefore perfect as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect” (Mt 5, 48). So we also try to challenge each person to follow the fearless mission entrusted to him/her by the Lord Jesus Christ and to respond with joy to the call that God has for us with the gospel!

In the farewell remained the great joy of our hearts to share experiences, joys and learnings. The joy for the continuation of this path in community, this path that will only be made walking in communion with our brothers around the world!

By Paula Sousa (Portugal)

Sister Angelique Namaika in Granada

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CARTEL DEFLast Friday February 7th, Sister Angelique Namaika, Fellowship Award 2013 granted by the magazine Mundo Negro published by the Comboni Missionaries in Spain, was in Granada invited by the Comboni Family to give her testimony and share her life and her work with the poorest and forgotten.

More than a hundred people gave us gathered at the Jesuit Center Suarez to hear a firsthand testimony of this strong and passionate about life woman. A testimony of hope amid so much suffering.

Sister Angelique works with victims of the atrocities of the greatest criminal of the recent history of mankind. Joseph Kony, leader of the vicious Lord’s Resistance Army, which roams freely in Congo, South Sudan and Central Africa. Tens of thousands of people are forced to flee from their homes, leaving their homes and families, sometimes losing their children converted into little soldiers.

This religious woman is a symbol of the work that the Church develops in one of the most dangerous corners of the African continent with a collective, the refugees, often more easily forgotten.

Among many other issues, she told us about her work in the field of training and accompanying psychological support to women who have experienced violence in the first person and how her work is focused on advancing the culture of reconciliation so that little by little go slowly disappearing the hate fruit of lived atrocities.

La hna. Angelique junto a LMC de Granada
Sister Angelique with CLM of Granada
La hna. Angelique durante su conferencia
Sister Angelique during her conference

I’m sending you…

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Among the many celebrations and important events that have recently experienced the Comboni Family, was also the official sending of father Maciej Zielinski, who finally is going in mission. He was responsible for the Comboni Lay Missionaries in Poland. Last Sunday Bishop Jan Piotrowski officially sent him and gave him his pastoral blessing for the time of missionary work. Father Maciej from January 1 officially belongs to the Province of Kenya, where he will spend the next few years, working and helping those who need it most.

The celebration of sending took place in his parish- in Tarnów, where family, friends, Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries attained.

“If someone knows Christ cannot keep it for him or her, but must proclaim Him” – emphasized Bishop Piotrowski. Therefore, Maciek decided that he wants to share his experience of God with those who have not met Him yet, those who have not reached the Gospel yet.

Father Maciej was responsible for the animation of vocations and work with youth for the past few years in Poland. Looking at the number of young people involved in help for the missions, you can freely say that this stay was very fruitful. And although Father Maciej understood young people and you can see that was finding in this work, he still missed Africa, to work on the Black Continent. Now, finally, it fills. And although we are a little sad, we are happy with him.

Each of us owes much to Maciek. As Comboni Lay Missionaries Movement we want to thank you for the time and commitment to our Movement in Poland. For father Maciek kindled enthusiasm and love for the mission. We thank you for every smile, good word, because you were for us like a “father”. We could always come, talk and get a help and solution.

“If a missionary feels alone in the mission, it means that we are not a community, we are not the Church”- said during the homily Bishop Piotrowski. Prayer is very important in missionary work, because it makes you feel the unity of the whole Church and gives the feeling that we are a true community of believers. This call to pray for Fr Maciek, but also for the whole missionary work of the Church, let us will collapse deep in our hearts, and this request will not remain unanswered.

Polish CLM group

I sent you to preach the Gospel

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CLM Poland“God has chosen you to go and bring fruit and that your fruit will abide. Go therefore and preach the Gospel to everyone. This is the cross, your guide to the apostolic roads. This is your help in any danger. This is your consolation in your life and in death.”

The missionary crosses, which three CLM from Poland received- Ewa Maziarz, Joanna Owanek and Monika Krasoń- will accompany them in missionary work in Uganda, where they were sent. They answered “yes” to Christ’s call. For the love to Him, they will service among the poorest and the most abandoned, who are waiting for them in Uganda. Their sending to Africa to preach the Gospel of Christ is a very important event not only for Comboni Missionaries but also for the whole community of the Church. Not everyone can go on the mission, but others can go there on behalf of us. And Ewa, Asia and Monika will serve our brothers and sisters on behalf of us in Uganda, sharing with them the Christ’s faith, hope and love.

The sending of our Comboni Lay Missionaries was very solemn. The whole community of the Church in the parishes of missionaries- Zarzecze and Łaziska Górne- prayed for CLM. We prayed for strength and perseverance for them. The pastors of the Church of the Archdiocese of Katowice and the Diocese of Sandomierz blessed them and gave the missionary crosses. Monika was sent by Archbishop Viktor Skworc and Ewa and Joanna were sent by Bishop Christopher Nitkiewicz. Misionaries underlined that they are aware of the hardships of the mission in Uganda, but the believe that their work will be fruitful. But, the “fruit will be abundant” if we will pray for them and for their work. And our CLM asked us for the prayer.

Let request of our missionaries will be an encouragement for us to pray for the missions, because each of us is called to be a missionary.

CLM Polish group