Comboni Lay Missionaries

“Coloring Africa”

Carmen LMC

How easy it is to enjoy doing nice things, creating, inventing and “building” from our imagination and the materials we have around.

In St. Jude Orphanage, has appeared “Art Studio” a place prepared by my Spanish friends who came to visit us this summer and cleaned, ordered and painted a warehouse, and then transform it into a beautiful place.

It was a dream that came true, because due to my “artistic branch” I wanted to do something “different and nice” with the children of the orphanage. Sometimes with older (14 or 15 years) communication it is not easy because they are in that difficult age, where they reveal a little against everything. I was sure that through these activities communication would be simpler, and so it proved.

Many ideas in my head, a lot of time collecting precious African scraps from the market, collecting plates and seeds, plastics, bags, and keeping them patiently, wanting to do fun things with all the material.

It is an artistic laboratory where we get together to work making purses, pocketbooks, earrings, bracelets, and other things that will be discovering as we go finishing (because different ideas continue to emerge). We listen to music, talk, and the best is to see the result on the beautiful store that has emerged after two months of work.

The aim is not only selling, even thou it is always important to get some money to help us every day, which is not easy.

We wanted the kids to have the chance to work with imagination and creativity, elements that I think are important for the development of the person. We do not wanted to get together only to make bracelets, but see a table full of things and think “where can go from here?” Propose, inventing, and why not … dream a little.

Before starting, I asked God for patience to explain the kids how to work and also asked to convey my enthusiasm, because the most excited about this was me, and I think I’m still the one J.

The results are wonderful, and I must say we have surprised everyone, including Brother Elio, the director, workers, and people who come to visit the orphanage, have been delighted with our little artistic corner.

The work of course are divided according to age, some are dedicated to stick hammered sheets plates and let them flat, others cuts letters, others uses glue, scissors, others joins balls with elastic … but what it is the best It is that we are really enjoining, and we all love seeing the result of our work.

When they realize they can do beautiful things, become proud and want to do more, and the fact of seeing them “exposed” in our beautiful store, makes them feel important.

So now, if you come to visit St. Jude Orphanage in Uganda, apart from playing with the children, go for a walk with the kids who are in wheelchairs, read and paint, run, and do all sorts of things that can occur with 100 children together, you will have to go through our “Art Studio”, first to see how well they work, and second, of course to buy some souvenirs in our shop.

We wait for you!

Carmen Aranda CLM

Ghana CLM aspirants meeting

CLMThis 14th November, we met at Abor for our formative meeting.

At the beginning, we prayed the Lauds and meditated upon a letter of St Comboni to his parents (Writings n.55- 62). After this, we had a presentation about the History of the CLM family. The presentation was based on the one that Alberto de la Portilla presented at Kinshasa at our second Continental Meeting. The presentation first talked about the various CLM international meeting with their conclusions. The main one is the one of Ellwagen in 2006. The continuation shows the readiness of the MCCJ to journey with the lay people. The last step is the showing of the various CLM groups in the world with their way of life.

After this, we discussed a little bit about the selling of the magazine New People. The coordinator insisted on the availability of each member to commit himself in responding to our CLM vocation. We talked also about the commitment at our various places.

The prayer and our community food ended the meeting.

After the meeting, we were informed of the appointment of a new Chaplain for the group in the name of Rev. Fr Philip Zema, mccj. We thank the Provincial and His Counsel for their attention and readiness to help us grow in our vocation.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

On the way to the Mission – Sending Maria Augusta to CAR

LMCOn October 25, echoing the message that brings the October missionary, celebrated around the world, we celebrated with joy and faith, the ceremony of sending of Maria Augusta Pires for the Central African Republic.

We thank God for a week of missionary animation in the schools of Dornelas do Zêzere and Pampilhosa, with great joy we share with the children our missionary experiences, while we gave testimony of Him who sends us always on mission.

In the four homes in the area, after a moment of prayer, was wonderful to see the faces of the elderly who opened into a big smile when we started singing and clapping… Everyone was very happy and promised to pray for missionaries every day.

On Saturday afternoon, in the Eucharist celebrated by three priests (Fr. João and Fr. Orlando, from these parishes and Father Dario of the Comboni Missionaries) in six parishes around Janeiro de Baixo (birthplace of Maria Augusta), we gave our missionary testimony as Comboni Lay Missionaries.

This missionary week culminated with a Mass in the parish church of Janeiro de Baixo, chaired by monsignor Virgilio, bishop of Coimbra, where we solemnly celebrated the sending of the CLM Maria Augusta Pires, that will leave next November 9 to the Mission of Mongoumba – CAR – where will make community with the CLM Elia Gomes that it is there since 2011.

In this so special and meaningful Eucharist, the church was full of Christians from the various parishes in the area who wanted to join us to pray for all missionaries. At the end of the Mass there were tears and emotion on the faces of almost everyone, moved by the words of Maria Augusta about the Mission. Many, many people came to say hello and to wish good luck for the mission and telling that they would pray for her.

After Mass Mgr. Virgilio greeted and spoke to all the people who wanted to be with him (and there were many!).

At the end of this day, I can only, thanks, thank the Bishop for his presence, his secretary Father Pedro, Father Dario, a Comboni missionary and the Fathers Juan and Orlando for the effort they put into making possible this missionary week. Everything went very well, so thank the Lord wholeheartedly.

LMCMaria Augusta Pires (CLM on the way to the Mission)

The celebration of the 10th October in Ghana

CLM Ghana

For the first time, we celebrated as lay group the Solemnity of our Founder. We took the opportunity to talk about the founder, ourselves and the process of formation.

Everything started on Wednesday, the 7th of October. Mr Adze Daniel, an old Comboni student, presented the life of Comboni. He talked about his birth, his parents, his vocation and mission. The presentation was so seducing that the workers, the youth and children around were filled with admiration towards the zeal of Comboni.

On the second day, the 8th, Rev. Fr Joseph Rabbiosi, MCCJ, presented the Comboni Family. He presented the four branches, the Priest and Brothers, the Comboni Sisters, the Seculars and the Comboni Lay Missionaries. He emphasized a little upon the history of the male Congregation, the MCCJ, how it has started and how and when they came to the Province Togo-Ghana-Benin and what they are doing.

On the third day, the 9th, Mr Justin Nougnui talked about the formation process for the MCCJ priest and clm. He insisted on the need of having a spiritual director, the disposition of community life, the disposition to witness the good news to the poor and vulnerable for both MCCJ and CLM; the academic performance so necessary to journey towards priesthood and the professionalism necessary for the CLM. The CLM can be married or single and we do not make any official vows. To a question, he explained clearly that some of the works we do cannot free us to give ourselves totally for the proclamation of the Good News and to fulfill what is required for a CLM candidate. Nevertheless, such workers can be friends of CLM and support them financially for achieving their goals.

The 10th was a diocesan programme for priestly ordination. So the 10th Mass was celebrated on Sunday 11th to thank the Lord for giving us a so committed person in the name of Daniel Comboni who did not spare any effort to work for the regeneration of Africa. We prayed for the Comboni Family and especially for the CLM in our province that the Lord may strengthen them and provide them with means to carry out their activities.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

The mission is a plan of love for which we shouldn´t spare any effort

ComboniThis is one of the many phrases that Comboni has left us as a proof of his donation and the conviction of his vocation.

Every day we hear, see and read in the news the world’s inequalities. Every day we find so many people who need hope.

A world, home of all, that is deeply interconnected, that need from us to wake up and unite all efforts to propose a new way of living, more just and dignified for all. It needs that we roll up our sleeves and get down proposing and carrying out a new humanity. Need people ready to be with those men and women who suffer most from exclusion and have no consideration from others. Needs people that carry the tenderness and love of God to every corner of the planet where necessary.

In a world where the money find facilities and people barriers, we need to recover and make present the love of God. Mercy that restore wounds and brotherhood and solidarity that allows us to share this land that is everybody’s home. We all have the right to enjoy it, no matter where we were born or the possibilities of the family that has welcomed us.

We need you to step forward and join us. The mission is a plan of love for which we shouldn´t spare any effort.