America – Page 31 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

CLM American Meeting

4 October, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

On September 25, 2021, the American CLM Committee: MCCJ Fr. Ottorino Poletto, Beatriz Maldonado and Mireya Soto, with the accompaniment of Alberto de la Portilla, were pleased to meet with the CLM of America and some of Europe, to have a formative conference, given by Father Dario Bossi, with the theme “the vocation of the laity in the socio-political and ecclesial context of America“.

Father Dario Bossi is a Comboni Missionary, currently provincial coordinator of the Comboni Missionaries in Brazil. The theme was developed in three important points: Colorful spots (to understand the situation where we are), Christian lights (lights that from the faith and the Church help us to understand the reality and provide ideas) and CLM Mission (some ideas that as missionaries, in our case Comboni Missionaries, we can develop).

He explained that America is a continent with cultural richness, natural resources, and in the face of the storm that humanity is going through, we CLM have the commitment to dialogue and act in favor of the poor and the needy, hence the hope and the lights that we have such as the Encyclicals of Pope Francis in which he speaks of the commitment to nature and the need for a Church to go out; The mission ad gentes and our relationship as Comboni family.

The conference has been recorded and you can listen to it and analyze it (here below in Spanish) for further enrichment of our groups.

Our meeting ended with the prayer that Christ taught us, giving thanks for having gathered and shared.

“Divine works are born and grow at the foot of the cross“. St. Daniel Comboni.

Mireya Soto, CLM American Committee

Prayer Intentions of the Comboni Family October 2021

1 October, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

Together with all the missionaries of the world we thank the Lord for the opportunities he gives us of serving the neediest and we pray that we may always be able to do it with love. Lord hear us.

Interview with Ana Cris and Alejandro

16 September, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

We leave you the interview by Fr. Dário (provincial of Brazil) to our CLM couple from Guatemala, Ana Cris and Alejandro.

In it they present their missionary experience in Brazil.

(Interview in Portuguese)

CLM Brazil

New school year

9 September, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

Fr. Francesco Pierli MCCJ and Sr. Teresita Cortés CMS share with us this reflection at the beginning of the academic year.

Dear Friends,

Let me take this opportunity of the approaching of the New Academic Year 2021-2022 to share few feelings anf few thougths with you. It is a great joy for me to be involved in this New Academic Year you are about to start. My mind goes back to the numerous years I was in Africa living with many of you the adventure of studying and researching together. If we are interested in succeding in whatever adventure we plugged ourselves into, it is important to shake hands with others. Beeing together it is God’s dream and an essential condition to be successful in whatever initiative we take. Fraternity and cooperation are two cornerstones of social ministry for social transformation from the very beginning. Let us continue to develop our passion and methodology for collaboration and togethernes men and women. Let us look at each other with appretiation and friendship. Our committment to collaboration assures God’s presence in our midst as Jesus clearly states in Chapter 5 of his Gospel.

Togetherness, mutual acceptance and collaboration are oustandig marks of social ministry meant for social transfomation of any environment. May yhe Holy Spirit grant us all, new joy and fraternity ever more. Fraternity is needed all over the world, and so as well for us to start anew in the new conditions we come to the University now.

I am aware of the hardships you are undergoing, both students and lecturers, in this time of global planetarian health crisis, due to the Coronavirus pandemic and othe catastrophies. I also had my part in times of isolation, loneliness and lack of socialization; not being allowed „to shake hands“. But now, let us be united and build anew our relationships. That would will be the way to grow stronger and we will regain hope and trust in a better future for our beloved Kenya and for the world. May the Holy Spirit show us ways to build bridges among individuals, families and nations and to sow the seed of collaboration. This hign value I am insisting about, is one of the strongest objectives of social ministry while bringing different ethnic groups, different religions, any diversity among cultures together. Especially bringing men and women together, according to the indication of God’s Word, according to the social teaching of the Church, becoming bearers of this new vision of Social Transformation which means to overcome even the old fashioned apostolic style where only men were supposed to be in leadership. I do not believe in a Kingdom of God built only by men; they alone do not generate life. New life comes only through „team spirit“ where men and women with equal dignity and mutual respect and understanding creatively generate the Social Transformation. This is already your Movement for Social Transformation….!!

I invite you, to look attentively and with contemplative eyes, at the picture which is at the apse of the main Hall at the Tangaza University College which shows how our equal footing, together male and female, create and bring equilibrium to God´s Creation. Let us start this Academic Year with „team spirit“, with joy, with new courage and new hope.

Thank you and be reassured of my daily prayer for each one of you.

Fraternally, Prof. Fr. Francesco Pierli MCCJ LTh. Sr. Teresita Cortés Aguirre CMS

Visit to our community in Ecuador

3 September, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

The Comboni Lay Missionaries in Ecuador received on August 31, 2021, the visit of the Provincial Continental Referent of the CLM, Fr. Ottorino Poletto MCCJ, who taking advantage of his coming to Guayaquil, wanted to have a small meeting with our community.

After updating us on personal news and telling us about his visit to Mexico, he made us the proposal to have as CLM in Ecuador a place of mission, where we can establish ourselves and work in unity offering missionary service to the communities in the areas of education, health and other specific pastoral areas, taking into account our personal, professional and missionary reality. This initiative of leaving our zone can be a motivation for the new members of the lay community.

It was also a good opportunity to clear up doubts and above all to encourage us in the formation projects to get new members for the CLM, which we have taken up again with the help of our local reference person, Fr. Joseph Ng’ang’a, MCCJ, since July of this year.

We hope that St. Daniel Comboni will accompany us on this journey and help us to make the best decisions in order to be able to fulfill and become the place of mission for our CLM community in Ecuador.

Abg. Susana Ortega Delgado, CLM