We leave you here a very interesting interview with Valdeci Ferreira, Brazilian CLM who has 39 years dedicated to recovering people who have failed in their lives and have been imprisoned.
He explains to us the APAC method where the recuperandos (prisoners) themselves hold the keys to the prison, help each other and where the person is recovered for society. “No one is impossible to recover” is one of the slogans of APACs and that make possible this dream of giving a new possibility to those who one day made a mistake.
PS. It is in Portuguese but subtitles can be added.
The Comboni Lay Missionaries of Brazil began the year 2023 with the organization of the face-to-face meeting of the CLM Formative Itinerary that took place from January 15 to 23, at Piquiá in Açailândia/MA. This region is one of the oldest and most continuous presence of the CLM and is a reference point for the work as Comboni Family in the Cause of Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC).
Leonel from Curitiba/PR, Dhenny from Balsas/MA, Diana from Fortaleza/CE and Tranquillo from Serra/ES participated in this beautiful moment of formation, sharing and visits.
This period of living together aims to be a special moment in the discernment process that is already entering its second year, in view of the call of the CLM to serve the Kingdom. It is an opportunity to deepen on Vocation as a call from God, the option and the lifestyle and mission. During these days, the theme of the Social Teaching of the Church was emphasized, with a focus on JPIC – Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, with theoretical formations and visits made to various existing initiatives in the region.
An important moment to reread life and faith and, as baptized people, to rediscover the missionary dimension. “Am I baptized? Then I must be a missionary, otherwise I am not a Christian” (Pedro Casaldáliga).
On the rails of love and friendship our train travels through life.
They were days of learning, living together, and getting cozy. Our itinerary, just like a train trip, takes us to visit places, enjoy the landscape, and enjoy the conviviality of those who share the same faith and walk the same path.
Coming from the four corners, gathered in the small and stunning Piquiá, four people (Diana, Dhenny, Leonel and Tranqüillo) who seek to know and to get to know each other, to learn and to teach, to experience and to dream, together for one more step towards the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) station. This will not be the final station, but the first one, the one that will allow us to follow even more distant trails and tracks.
In our backpack, only what is necessary: the Word of God, a few clothes, many doubts and fears, some small change, and an enormous desire to live it all. We are counting only on our spirituality and on dedicated and abdicated people: Cristina, Marcelo, Adriana, Alexander, Father Carlos, João Carlos, Dida, Father Joseph, Flávio, Liliana and Father Silvério. People who have traveled these paths in the most varied ways and means. People who have opened roads and laid tracks.
Our train set off and on its way received people. People who had fun, people who suffered. People who taught us a lot, not only with their words, but with their actions, their attitudes, and with their lives. To believe that we are transforming agents. That we transform harsh realities of exploitation, deceit, and death into a kingdom of life, sharing, and faith.
Behind bars, we are able to recognize those people who are unwanted, mistreated and excluded from life. People who are able to smile and live again, all it takes is for a young person to feel uncomfortable with the suffering of others, to put together their knowledge and their will, and to serve on the frontiers of imprisonment. Marcelo, thank you for teaching us that stubbornness makes us remove bars and walls in our lives and in the lives of many others.
We got off the train to meet the people of Piquiá. We visited, we walked through hot and dusty streets. But we didn’t walk alone. We counted on the company and the joy of serving Mr. José Albino, Mr. Celso, Dona Margarida and so many other people who come together to celebrate faith and share life. And off we went. In the midst of the people. The sun that illuminates the path and leaves a mark on our skin. We are marked by the words and smiles received. By eyes that don’t see, by hands that don’t touch, by people who are bedridden and badly treated, but resilient and strong. People of faith.
On these paths of life, we are required to make choices. Faced with a reality we have the road to the left and the road to the right. Our answer will always be yes. We will always make the decision to take the road that leads to the Kingdom of God and the poor. Alexander is one of those few who had the courage and the willingness to say the Yes to vocation. A vocation to place himself in the midst of the poor, to serve the most needy, and to help the socially invisible. Alexander teaches us, with his Spanish Portuguese, to learn hard lessons of detachment, to leave the comfortable place in which we were born and forged. With his doubts and questionings, his will to get things done, Alex (as we call him) boards our train and travels with us all along this trail.
On 18th of December 2022, two candidates were commissioned, Maria and Belinda, who were undergoing formation. They have become officially Comboni Lay Missionaries, in the presence of MCCJ Fathers, parents of the candidates and other members of the Comboni Family. The celebration took place at St Daniel Comboni in Huruma, Kariobangi parish. We are overwhelmed with joy, congratulations to them!
Maria and Belinda, after receiving the cross as symbol of their new responsibilities as CLM
On Christmas, some members joined the international community in Kitelakapel (Linda and Pius) to celebrate with them. They shared some beautiful moments and we also watched an amazing movie together as a community.
Christmas team in Kitelakapel (Fr. Maciek, Pius, Mercy, Linda and Neema)
In conjunction, we were invited to facilitate the youth retreat with the mccj at Chelopoy, Amakuriat parish, which was held from 26th to 29th December. This is a great achievement for us, as we are now extending our collaboration with the MCCJ also beyond our own parish.
With the team of facilitators in Chelopoy, Amakuriat parish, West Pokot
Just recently, at the beginning of January 2023, we had our assembly, where we planned and budgeted our activities for this year. We confirmed in their roles the leaders of the previous year, since they have to serve a term of 2 years.
In addition, we decided to add more roles and therefore nominated new leaders, so they can help the existing ones to make things run smoothly. To this purpose, we added the communications and projects coordinators.
We also included in our plan inputs from the African assembly in Benin, reviewed our constitution and later on had a moment of socialization, which did mark our occasion successfully.
We also included a new aspect in our formation meetings, as we decided to add to our monthly meetings moments of service in organisations, like visiting children’s homes and etc. For example, on the last day of our meeting we spent some time at the center of the sisters of charity, helping them looking after a group of disabled children.
We thank the Lord for all these fruitful events, the work we have done so far, the small and big achievements we have attained, the enthusiasm and commitment He has filled us with, and we trust that He will accompany us even more in the year that has just started, wishing a wonderful new start to all the other groups of CLM out there!!!
Taking advantage of Alberto’s visit in the province, we moved across Ghana-Togo-Benin to share our vocation with Friends of Comboni/ Amicale and also to some communities.
On the 26th November 2022, after a meeting with the CLM group in Ghana, Alberto, Justin and Frank started the tour. The first interaction was with Friends of Comboni in St. Paul Catholic Church of Nkanfoa, Cape Coast (Rep. of Ghana). It was a motivating exchange between us. In the presence of Father Boris and two Scholastics we shared with our friends our reality as CLM encouraging them to take a step ahead and start the CLM journey.
On the 27th November, first Sunday of Advent, with a proposal of Father Antoine, a formator in the Scholasticate and Vice Provincial, we divided ourselves to accompany the fathers for the Eucharistic Celebration. Alberto stayed at the main station with Fr. Joseph, Frank followed Fr. Boris to Akonomah (where we had two years ago a missionary experience) and Justin with Fr. Antoine at Edukrom. We were given the opportunity to do CLM vocation promotion.
Back to Togo, on the 30th November, Alberto and Justin met another group at Adidogome, a group followed by Rev. Sister Elisabeth, CMS and Fr. Augustine, MCCJ. The group was very dynamic with the zeal of all its members ready to embrace Comboni charism as CLM.
From 30th November to 3rd December, we stayed at the Postulancy living together with the fathers Anicet, Maurice and Tenías all MCCJ and the 20 postulants. We prayed, participated to the Eucharistic Celebrations and shared meal together.
On the 1st December, morning, Alberto and I went to visit the Comboni Sisters. We stayed together and shared some ideas especially about the group of Friends of Comboni which Sister Elisabeth was accompanying.
In the evening, we went to Cacaveli to share with another group of Friends of Comboni. Scholastic Joseph Atsou, responsible of CAM (Missionary Animation Center) was present at the meeting and promised to accompany the group.
Before the meeting, Alberto and Justin went to greet Fr. Timothy, the Superior Provincial.
In Benin, after the CLM Assembly, Alberto, Justin and Brother Pascal visited another group of “Amicale” in Cotonou a group accompanied by Brother Pascal, MCCJ. Out of the bigger group, some members were very committed.
We took contacts from all the groups from Ghana to Benin and promised to continue interacting with them. We hope with divine grace, that soon, some will join the CLM group.
We leave you a video published by Justiça nos Trilhos where we can see the progress of the struggle of a simple community against a large extractive company.
A struggle that the Comboni family has been accompanying for years.
You can also read and watch a video subtitled in Spanish in “El País”.
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