America – Page 3 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Report day 1 of the Maia 2024 assembly December 9, 2024.

11 December, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

The day began with a delicious breakfast, in which we enjoyed the typical delicacies of Portugal.

The opening of the assembly was led by Alberto de la Portilla, in which important points were highlighted such as

It is time to show the good or the bad that we have done and from there to be able to grow, review the path and develop the growth of the groups from the different countries.
What has been developed for 6 years is brought to the assembly, the life of the LMC, dreams and future plans that we want to live in the community.
Everything that is spoken and discussed will be collected in a document to share with the other LMCs in each country and is the responsibility of each of the LMC members in each country.
The assembly seeks general agreements so that each country can adapt to its reality; we do not seek to go into detail but rather to seek a general line that helps us grow; Consensus will be sought for each of these aspects.

It continued with a reflection developed by Kenyan group; we began with a Swahili dance and song that talked about how great God is and that we can find him wherever we want; we learned its meaning and danced it to warm up. Following this, we proceeded to reflect on four questions that guided a 30-minute meditation, reinforced by some biblical texts that made us search for the presence of God and the Holy Spirit in the assembly.

We do not walk alone. How to travel together?
A transformative encounter. Lord, talk to me.
Mister; why me? Why here?
Saints and capable. What can I offer?

The next activity was the presentation of the countries, then we began with the report of each of the countries. In this presentation, the video or support material that each one brought was shown. These presentations were developed from the topics that they sent us to prepare the report by country. The following annotations that correspond to all the communities were highlighted.

The responsibility of the people who are part of the LMCs must be those of the LMCs themselves; so we must have the autonomy of these decisions with responsibility. However, it must be noted that the last person responsible for the people who make up the LMC is the provincial of each province.
In Egypt, they have three moments of vows or commitments, after finishing the first year with a commitment to service, after finishing the second year of formation another vow and after finishing the third year of formation other vows that lead to growth of commitment to the Comboni charism.
The situation of RCA is a unfavorable reality of a community; It is worth noting that these situations must always be shown to know what type of community a missionary faces when applying for this type of mission places.
In some places like Congo and others, despite having a large number of people making up the LMC groups, it must be taken into account that the purpose of the LMC must be to assume the commitment to leave their country to provide their services in a place other than yours.

The day closed with the exhibition by country of its culture, its typical products and its particularities enriched by its people and their charisma; Photographic records of the activity and the exposed stands are left.

Prayer Intentions of the Comboni Family December 2024

1 December, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

For the Lay Comboni Missionaries who this month are celebrating their Intercontinental Assembly: that the Holy Spirit may accompany them, illuminate them in making decisions for the good of the mission, and keep them faithful to their vocation. Let us pray.

Vocation is a call

20 November, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

There is always a response to God’s call, when people say yes, a celebration can be held over the years, where we can all participate to celebrate, I Lety was invited by a religious to support her Missionary Animation and so it happened from November 9 to 17, in the community of Bocja Arenal Hidalgo, a community between Actopan and Pachuca we participated.

It was a week of sharing where I participated and not alone; I was able to live it with Sandra CLM from Guadalajara, a companion of the local group and who will soon begin her community formation to be able to go out to the ad-gentes mission.

Sharing with the people our Catholic Christian Joy in the style of St. Daniel Comboni, the reason for the week of Missionary Animation was the 25th anniversary of religious life of my friend, a vocation of this place to awaken the vocation in new generations. We are grateful for all that we lived; always filled with the presence of God.

María Leticia Ordoñez. CLM Mexico

VI American Missionary Congress – America, with the power of the Spirit, witnesses of Christ!

19 November, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

Since Thursday I have witnessed the work that OMPE PUERTO RICO is doing to live our congress as a church in America.

I have had the opportunity to meet persons of the people who with their joy are able to transmit the Love and Joy of the Gospel in their work spaces.

We coincided with a group of missionary friends from different countries who gathered since Friday to be attentive and participate 100% as CAM6 congress participants, KNOWING THAT FROM YOUR HOME YOU CAN PARTICIPATE and MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD on the topics that as a Church we are going to deal with.

A press conference has been held with those responsible for the realization of the event. Where they share the details of the topics to be discussed, who will participate and everything that the Missionary Church is interested in.

Join us through the virtual transmission if you are still at home.

Pray and make written contributions within the topics to generate opinion, YOU WILL BE HEARD.

CLM, Beatriz Maldonado

National Assembly in Mexico

2 November, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

From September 27 to 29 we had our national assembly in preparation for the international meeting 2024, the appointment was in Mexico City where 15 CLM from different groups of the national movement participated, Fr. Filomeno Ceja MCCJ as our companion present and Fr. Luis Enrique Ibarra invited to give the theme of Missionary Animation.

In an atmosphere of prayer and dynamism we were able to address the issues provided by the central committee that we had to work, we made groups where each one of us had the opportunity to express our missionary feeling about the reality presented, in addition we established our commitments based on what we can do in our place. We have managed to address all the issues, we are still preparing the documents that will be sent to the central committee and we managed to make the work plan for next year.

We have established dates where we highlight the moments of prayer in the monthly retreat in each group, dates for virtual prayer where we all participate remembering key moments in the life of Comboni, as to strengthen the spirit and our retreat in person at the national level, as well as the date for our next assembly.

The dates for the beginning and closing of the community experience.

The formation for the following year.

The activities that will be carried out to gather economic resources for the following year. To continue sending our contribution to the central committee, to sustain the community experience and the mission house in Metlatónoc.

Each one of the members wrote our letter of commitment where we specify what we are going to commit ourselves to for the following year. This letter was received by the Assessor and the Coordinator of the CLM movement in Mexico. It was really a moment of happiness to see something concrete for each of the CLM members present.

The party was not long in coming and we all shared the typical things that each one has in their region. Thank God we all returned safely to our cities.

CLM Mexico.