Comboni Lay Missionaries

World Mission Day

In the past weekend we celebrated another world mission day and nothing better than to celebrate this day with your family! Well, another missionary party in the house of Famalicão which became a time of fellowship and sharing within our Comboni family. The community life of Porto, of the Comboni Lay Missionaries, was also present.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the canonization of St. Daniel Comboni, we began to prepare our hearts for this party on Saturday night with a missionary vigil. With the participation of some persons from the parish we could be in prayer and communion with the poor, remembering this year, all the slaveries that continue to exist and those that are emerging nowadays.

On Sunday, early in the morning, started to arrive buses and cars that brought all people who wanted to participate in this missionary celebration! Despite the threat of rain and, in some cases, the age and leg pain that does not forgive; We do not want to stop sharing the gift of joy of being together, to pray for all the people who suffer and is forgotten by most of the society and to be a missionary church, leading the good news throughout the land.

Conforming the welcoming, the tombola and the meeting led by Fr Victor Dias, we experienced an environment of fellowship and joy of being together. The highlight of our missionary celebration was the Eucharist. This year was officiated by P. António Martins, recently arrived from Peru and that it will integrate the community of Famalicão in which he will continue its mission. Also the Young from Lemenhe and Mouquim as members of the JIM group wanted to be with us, encouraging the celebration with singing.

After a nice packed lunch and a soup highly praised, we had the afternoon recreational and cultural groups from Vila Nune, Santa Maria de Oliveira and other local artists who sang and charmed our afternoon! Once we were all together celebrating 10 years of the canonization of St. Daniel Comboni, we ended the day by praying the Comboni family prayer, which continues to respond to God’s call, being perseverant and never losing hope.

Participate in this missionary celebration, sharing this ideal of Daniel Comboni with all these people who collaborate and make the mission possible is to realize his words: “I die but my work will not die”.

bySandra Fagundes

Happy world day of missions

Domund 2013

Hello dear friends,

in this world day of missions;

We want to share with you

the joy that comes from our hearts.

 

On this special day,

We are asked to trust

that love always overcomes the challenges

that we may find!

 

We cannot stand still,

while there are people suffering,

forgotten people in the world

people without right to live!

 

If we are call missionaries

cheerful we accept this mission,

to bring the world of today

The truth of evangelization!

 

To be a Christian is to be a missionary!

So we cannot stay apart!

With Christ and Comboni

we dare to go further: we dare to love! …

 

Happy world day of missions,

We wish you with all our hearts!

Let us continue always together,

On the paths of the mission!

 

With the best wishes: Comboni Lay Missionaries (original in Portuguese)

 

 

Gives life to this October missionary in the heart of the local Church

Comunidade de vida do Porto

The weekend of 11-13 October, the community life from Porto (Portugal) of the Comboni Lay Missionaries, held a missionary animation in the parish of S. Martin of Bougado – Trofa. The CLM participants were: Susana Vilas Boas, Sandra Fagundes, Franquelim Alves, Carlos Barros and Father Manuel Lopes.

On Friday evening, a presentation was made to the Young and the officers of the parish with the intention of making known the CLM and the Comboni family project for this year. This project – “ZO KWE ZO” – aims to help the health care of the pygmies of the Central African Republic.

We participated in the Eucharist on Saturday at 16:30 and 17:00 pm, and Sunday Masses at 8:30, 11:00 and 19:00 hours, where we gave the testimony of our presence in the Central African Republic and explained the project of the Comboni Family for this year 2013/2014.

At the request of the parish priest of Santa Maria de Alvarelhos, We also participate in the 15:45 Eucharist at the Sanctuary of St. Euphemia.

Thanks to Fr Luciano, pastor of St. Martin of Bougado, who very kindly welcomed us, and the whole community that proved to be quite interested, motivated and generous.

We also thank the parish of Santa Maria de Alvarelhos generosity and openness to welcome us and share with us the joy of this October missionary who leads us all to cross boundaries and go “beyond” in our being Christian.