Missionary Experiences – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Posadas: a tradition in Mexico

5 January, 2026 by Alberto de la Portilla

In my experience as a Mexican, there are many traditions in this country, some of which date back a long time and have been passed down from generation to generation, such as the posadas. Beyond just attending for the sweets that are given to us at the end of each one, we remember the journey that Joseph and Mary had to take to find a place for Jesus to be born. Since they couldn’t find a posada, as they were called back then (nowadays it would be like a hotel room), all they could offer them was a stable, which they accepted with great love.

This tradition of posadas is organized and sung in different parts of the country, each place with its own customs, but with that special touch of what is really being commemorated and what it means.

In my family, we organize it this way: nine of the members take one posada per day, and it is their turn to give aguinaldos or some snacks such as a hot drink, better known as ponche, if they can afford it, since it is cold and this is one of the signs that reminds us that Christmas is coming. The rosary is prayed at the end of each mystery, and verses are sung while walking with the pilgrims.

Example:

Walk joyfully, dear angels of heaven, covering the roads.
The white snow that has worn away the lilies turns them snowy white.
Through those mountains goes the omnipotence, and the leopards also bow down to him.
Through those mountains walks Mary with her beloved husband, night and day.
Etc.

After several verses, they arrive at a house to ask for lodging. This is done three times during the rosary until it is finished. After making the three requests, they sing the entrance of the pilgrims into the house where they will stay that day, which is the family’s turn to provide lodging. The next day, they begin to go to the next house, and so on for nine days.

Even though we are in the same country, each state, diocese, parish, neighborhood, and family has a different way of organizing and carrying out this tradition, and the same applies to the songs, the melody, and the rhythm.

Here in Metlatonoc, where I am on mission, they are organized very differently, according to their customs. It has been a very pleasant experience because I have learned a lot from the people by observing them. The organizers of the posadas here are the stewards. Only they move the images, decide which children will carry them, and ring the bell while the images are being moved. Something curious that I noticed here is that they have the pilgrims dressed like them, in traditional regional clothing.

The singer recites part of the rosary before leaving with the pilgrims. When the litany begins, it is time to start walking. He sings in Latin and responds to himself. When he arrives at the house where he will ask for lodging, he stops singing the litany. The Guadalupana and Juquila groups read the readings and sing the petition, both the verses from outside and inside, dividing themselves to do so. In these posadas, they bring a band, give whistles to everyone, make a lot of noise, and set off fireworks. When they arrive at the house where the pilgrims will stay, it is recognizable because it is very decorated and has the portal they prepared.

The singer finishes praying the rosary there, the groups mentioned above gather and sing some Christmas carols, and then the whole parish community continues to socialize. It is customary to serve pozole and coffee, the band plays, and people are encouraged to dance. Everything ends around 11 or 12 at night. There are three groups of singers: two from Guadalupe and one from Juquila. They divide up the days on which they will sing and participate.

It has been a different experience to celebrate these holidays away from my family. As my brothers told me, now you will spend time with other people, and when you come home for vacation, it will be time to spend time with us. What keeps me going is the prayer and encouragement that my whole family, friends, and acquaintances give me. I am trying to take care of God’s things because I know that He is taking care of mine, which are mainly here on earth, me and my family.

Mariana, CLM in Metlatonoc (Mexico).

Closing a year full of blessings

30 December, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

During this year, we have shared meaningful experiences as a community, both in our formation and gatherings, as well as in our missionary days, in which we seek to bring to life what we have learned in these formations, as well as what God has sown with our collaboration through our personal prayer and our sacramental life.

In the Community of León El Manzanillo, we have had the opportunity to bring the Word of God through the themes we share on the first Saturday of each month, in our missionary days, and also through moments of prayer for those who face health problems or other difficulties, during home visits. The workshops we have given have also been a valuable tool for community members, promoting integral development, which fills us with joy.

In this community, on Saturday, November 8, we addressed the theme of conversion, preparing ourselves spiritually for Advent and encouraging the community’s active participation in Sunday Eucharist. That same day, in the afternoon, we organized a practical workshop in which we learned how to make small bread rolls known as donuts. This activity was an opportunity to spend time together in a different way, creating a very pleasant and joyful atmosphere.

Later, on Monday, December 8, we participated with great devotion in a Solemn Eucharist in honor of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

Later, on Sunday, December 14, we enthusiastically celebrated Comboni Lay Missionary Day. The day began with Holy Mass, presided over by Father Juan Diego Calderón. Then we shared a delicious breakfast of tamales that filled our bodies and hearts with energy.

The rest of the day was spent laughing, chatting, and participating in various activities that helped us strengthen our community bonds. Of course, we couldn’t miss out on a delicious lunch, which marked another special moment to share and celebrate with gratitude.

We thank our Good Father God for everything we have experienced during this year. The experiences he granted us not only nourished our personal and community growth, but also had a positive impact on the lives of our brothers and sisters.

Comboni Lay Missionaries of Guatemala

Jonas: mirror of our escapes

23 December, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

As planned in the programme of the year, we gathered in Ghana to have the Advent recollection. But, from a day in the Action Plan, we spread our gathering to cover three days for three main reasons. First, to have our recollection on the 13th December. Second, in order to be at Mafi-Kumase early for the recollection, we needed to be there on the 12th. And thirdly, to do vocation promotion at the parish where we met for the recollection.

In the evening of Friday, 12th December, Daniel, Christian, Elisabeth and Justin gathered at Good Shepherd Catholic Church of Mafi-Kumase and entered in the mood of recollection. We were joined later by Valentine. On Saturday, the 13th after the Holy Mass and breakfast, we had our first talk which was given to each one to read individually and reflect upon. It was a topic prepared by Fr. Manuel Joao Pereira Correia, mccj, which our chaplain gave to us to reflect upon. The title was Jonas: Mirror of our escapes. It was so meditative and Fr. Joao always left a question at the end of each subtopic to lead us in our meditation. An inspiring part of the topic was where father Joao quoted a theologian who said that the Lord is «The God of thousand surprises». He continued saying that ‘He even goes before us on the paths that lead us away from Him, in order to set a ‘trap’ for us so that we fall into his arms’. Indeed, that was what happened to Jonas when he was fleeing from the service that God entrusted to him.

In the afternoon, we had the second talk entitled ‘Inspired by Christian hope, let us live out our prophetic calling’ which our chaplain, Father Ephrem, mccj, shared with us. ‘One who hopes, he said, lives different life’. And our hope, he said, quoting a pope, is rooted in Jesus and Jesus is our hope. The prophet, according to father Ephrem, has three functions: talk in the name of God, denounce (the wrong doings) and suggest (new ways).

After the second talk, we had the celebration of the Sacrament of Conversion followed by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. In the night of that Saturday, we started a discussion on the Questionnaires that the African Committee sent to the various groups in Africa.

On Sunday, during mass, we were invited to share our vocation reality with the parishioners. Few got closer to us at the end showing interest to join us.

After lunch, we had a handing over ceremony. Justin who has been playing double role as National Coordinator of Ghana and Provincial Coordinator (Togo-Ghana-Benin) passed the service of the National Coordinator to Christian. Other members present were invited to pray upon the new National Coordinator. The Chaplain also prayed upon him and blessed him for the service the group and God have entrusted to him.

After this ceremony, we participated in the Zoom Meeting that gathered all the CLM worldwide to celebrate The International CLM Day before departing from Mafi-Kumase.

Justin Nougnui, CLM.

Second CLM community in Kenya: a dream come true!

21 November, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

Sunday the 16 November 2025, what a historic day! It’s the beginning of a new adventure for us CLM here in Kenya, as on this day we opened a second community in Chelopoy, West Pokot!

We are so grateful to all those who made it happen: our “ancestor” (as we fondly call him), fr. Maciek Zielinski, the MCCJ provincial of Kenya, fr. Andrew Wanjohi, the CLM of Kenya and all the CLM!

The members of the new community are: Mercy Lodikai (from Kenya), Giulia Lampo (from Italy) and Iza Tobiasiewicz (from Poland). Round of applause, please!!! These three pioneers are ready to start serving in the area of Chelopoy, and will probably join the community of Kitelakapel in the Life Skills project, expanding it to the schools in their area, while also collaborating with the local dispensary, run by the Franciscan sisters of St. Joseph – Asumbi. They will also engage in pastoral activities, of course. For now, the plan is for them to take their time to settle in and get to know the place and the people, create bonds of friendship and get to know their culture, their situation, their needs.

On their very first day, as we celebrated the opening of the community and the works of renovation in the house they’ll be using, they were received with great warmth and joy by the local people. We, the community of Kitelakapel, accompanied them, and we were blessed by the presence of our dear fr. Maciek, our equally dear MCCJ provincial, fr. Andrew, the parish priest (fr. Philip Andruga) and Comboni sisters of Amakuriat (the parish to which the new community belongs), and even two representatives of the CLM of Uganda, the very coordinator Beatrice Akite, and treasurer, Asege Teddy, accompanied by two Italian volunteers and a local member of Kalya peace village, Uganda.

The Mass was lively and participated, so well animated by the local people, who gave us all some gifts and made us feel at home from the very beginning. The provincial then proceeded to blessing the house and then we all had something to eat. It was a simple but lovely moment of celebration.

As usual, starting a new community in a new place is not something easy. It requires a lot of patience, humility and ability to adjust. However, our friends are not alone! They have the Franciscan sisters as caring neighbours, local families and church members as their new friends and new extended family, and the fathers and sisters from Amakuriat as a strong source of emotional and practical support. Not to forget us, the community of Kitelakapel, who are also so happy to have them as our “neighbours” in West Pokot! Together we will walk on this journey, grow, support each other, and do wonderful things! And of course, all this is possible only with the broader support of all CLM, the whole Comboni family and all those who believe in us!

So, thank you all! Keep being with us in prayer, and stay tuned!

Linda Micheletti, CLM Kitelakapel, Kenya

CLM in the Metlatonoc mission

16 November, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

We began this mission in Metlatónoc Guerrero on July 1, 2025, Mariana Meléndez and Leticia Orduñez, Lay Comboni Missionaries (CLM). We started from scratch, as the house where we would live was unfurnished and needed some plumbing work. We lived in the parish house until the 17th of the same month, when we moved into our new home, which was still undergoing repairs but was already livable. It is well located. From the roof, you can see the different neighborhoods, the mountains, and a beautiful landscape where you can appreciate the natural freshness of the place. The second floor has four rooms, one of which has been converted into a kitchen, and the others are bedrooms, so we can receive missionary visitors. Going down the stairs to the first floor on the left side, there is a large room that we plan to use for human growth meetings for people who are interested in learning crafts, tutoring, or whatever people have asked us for, such as praying the rosary.

The Parish of St. Michael the Archangel, where Father Miguel Navarrete, MCCJ, is the pastor and Father Wojcech, MCCJ, is the vicar, has 39 communities. They are served by the notary’s office, which is open early in the morning. People from all the communities come there to request Mass, describing the needs of their families or requesting a sacrament. The local officials also invite the priest to celebrate Mass at their community’s festival. Little by little, we are making ourselves known at Masses, gatherings, and celebrations to which we have been invited. Father Miguel introduces us as missionaries who will be spending some time in Metlatónoc supporting the Church’s pastoral ministry.

Catechesis is the door that has been opened for us to serve. We have begun in the parish area and in a community called Yuvinani. We have a group to train pastoral agents, with whom we meet twice a week for six months with a program proposed by the parish. Mr. Billano, Cristina, Elvia, Florina, Marcelina, and Adelma participate in this program; they are people who have made themselves available to help in the church. There are two groups receiving the sacraments: one is made up of 33 children and young people aged 9 to 24 who are preparing to receive their first communion, and the other is made up of seven teenagers aged 13 to 16 who are preparing for their confirmation. We are learning basic prayers and the commandments, and we share with them topics such as creation, the prophets, and the life of Jesus. We use videos to facilitate their understanding, giving examples from their community experiences and teaching them to differentiate between good and evil. The challenge we have encountered is language. Not everyone speaks Spanish, and we do not know Mixtec, so I am always checking with Mr. Billano, who helps me translate.

During these vacations, we had the opportunity to participate in the intensive catechesis and school support course organized by the parish priest, where we joined the service team and collaborated with Cesar, Consuelo, and Sonia, young people who are on vacation because they are studying abroad. Cesar taught mathematics and English in the school support program, while we women were involved in catechesis. There was good participation, even though it was raining, the children did not stop attending. They arrived at 3:30 p.m., we started with integration games, then the topic, and at 5:00 p.m. we participated in Mass. After that, we just gave instructions, they gathered their things to finish at 6:00 p.m. and leave early for home.

Due to the rains at this time of year, it is not possible to travel to the more distant communities because the roads are dirt roads, there are landslides, the hills are crumbling, and rocks of all sizes can fall, blocking the roads. It is also dangerous because accidents can happen and vehicles can fall into the ravine. The recommendation is that we visit these communities during the dry season. We already know some of them from visits we have made during Holy Week or Christmas.

We participated in the Diocesan Assembly in Tlapa, representing the parish with Fr. Miguel, Cesar, Gabriel, Adelaida, Leticia, and myself. We met for a week and discussed topics that helped us gain a general overview of the indigenous communities. We realized that there are different indigenous groups in the diocese, as they speak Tlapaneco, Nahual, and Mixtec, and there may be other language variants. Work teams were formed according to the area of service. Fr. Miguel and Gabriel were in the catechesis area coordinated by Fr. Nacho; Leticia and Cesar worked in the mission area coordinated by Fr. Damián; Adelaida and I were in the education area coordinated by Fr. Juan. It was something new for me, but it involved a lot of learning and commitment. The work was intensive and very helpful for us who are just arriving. Little by little, we are doing our part to walk in our Church where all the baptized can contribute something. I am grateful to those who keep me in their prayers, which give me the strength to continue even though I am far from my family. Thank you for your financial support, which makes it easier to continue maintaining the community. I would like to share with you that here the basic food basket is more expensive than in my community because it is not sold by the kilo but by the piece, and fruit and vegetables are really expensive. You can also join this project so that there are more of us in this CLM mission that we are starting on a permanent basis.

It has been a very beautiful experience to be sharing with the Mixtec people: the catechism course, school graduations at different levels, baptisms, quinceañeras, parish activities, and sharing with people in the traditions and customs they have here, as well as in celebrations in other communities. Everything has been very enriching for me as a person, but without forgetting who I am and where I come from.

Mariana Melendez Candido, CLM Mexico.