Comboni Lay Missionaries

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A Missionary Holy Week in El Salvador

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LMC Guatemala…”Holy and capable, making common cause with the poorest and most abandoned” (St. Daniel Comboni)

We, the CLM of the PCA in Guatemala, want to share with joy the mission experience Mercedes Suy and Carolina Lorenzana had during Holy Week, on April 8-16 of this year.

They went to the parish of St. Anthony in Santa Tecla, El Salvador and this is their story:

On Saturday, April 8, at 6:00 a.m. we left Guatemala City for El Salvador. The bus trip lasted six and a half hours. We arrived at 12:30 p. m. and we were met at the bus station to be taken to the parish of St. Anthony where Fr. Juan José Hernández, mccj welcomed us and gave us lodging. In the afternoon we went to meet the community of San Rafael. That was our mission field.

On that same day we started the home visits that lasted through the week until Thursday. We visited many families where we told them about the CLM, and that we were from Guatemala. They listened to us with interest, but above all we listened about their needs, problems and illnesses. After a few days, another community called San José del Pino requested our presence,

We took part in the activities of the small community sharing the Word at the House of Prayer “Oratorio,” and we attended the Way of the Cross in both communities.

These are people who have been directly affected by the gangs and by juvenile delinquency. Many have relatives or friends who disappeared or were killed. These communities need a person to person mission, where they can be helped to rise beyond their many problems by giving them skills to work with, social assistance and a deep evangelization with continuing support.

Perhaps the mission was not great, but it was rich in missionary activity. We, the CLM of the PCA in Guatemala will continue to hold these missionary experiences ad gentes in order to nurture our CLM charism.

LMC GuatemalaCLM Guatemala

Missionary Exhibit and Meeting in Guatemala

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LMC Guatemala“Saints and able, making common cause with the poor and the needy” (St. Daniel Comboni)

We, the CLM of the PCA in Guatemala want to let you know that on the Saturday, April 1, organized a mission exhibit and a meeting at Casa Comboni, Guatemala. We joined with the missionaries of the parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria, with whom, since February 2016, we are cooperating in their missionary formation.

The parish is St. Catherine of Alexandria is in Santa Catarina Pinula, a municipality of the department of Guatemala City, located about 10 miles from the capital.

In some areas, this population is subjected to extreme poverty and crime because of the gangs, It is one of the “red Zones” of the city.

LMC GuatemalaThe objective of our activity was to invite the Comboni Missionaries living in Guatemala city so that their two communities, the CLM and the “missionaries of Catherine (as we call them with affection)would share with words and through visual aids, some of the experiences of 2016 and the missionary projects we have in store for 2017.

We enjoyed the presence of the Comboni Missionaries Fr. Pasquale Miniero, Fr. Carlos Rodríguez, Fr. Antonio Maria Bruyel, Fr. Vicente Clemente and, of course, our moderator Bro. Humberto Rua. The one who thought up this event was also present: Fr. Walter Santizo, a Guatemalan diocesan priest and the pastor of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

At the end we shared a delicious lunch.

The basic idea by which the CLM of the PCA in Guatemala started this year is” “Saints and able united in a common cause to help the poorest and most needed.” This is how St. Daniel Comboni wants his missionaries to be.

We trust in Providence and entrust ourselves to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, just as St. Daniel Comboni taught us to do. God always walks ahead of us, shedding light on the path leading to the most needy.

CLM Guatemala

Annual Assembly of the Comboni Lay Missionaries, CLM, Peru.

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LMC PeruThe Comboni Lay Missionaries of Peru have had in Lima the Annual Assembly in our headquarters in Chorrillos, from February 24 to 26. It was attended by 11 active members, two postulants and two Comboni priests. Among the assistants, two were from Arequipa and two from Trujillo.
The main objective was to know and study the Conclusions Document of the CLM American Continental Meeting, held in Mexico, September 2016. We try to adapt it to our reality, and according to it, we have taken several agreements to start living it as soon as possible.
The main topics covered were: Identity of the CLM, Peruvian reference group, mission fields, mission ad gentes, communication among us and through the media, economy and other issues related to the current context of Peru.
We have seen in this meeting that we need to advance more in terms of the identity of the Comboni Lay Missionary. It was emphasized in the different dialogues that being a Comboni laity is different from being a member of another parish group. The charisma of Daniel Comboni must always be present in our activities.
In mission´s field, we agreed that it is necessary to give continuity in the places where we are present; we decided that all the CLM (Trujillo and Lima) will maintain as a priority: San Martin de Pangoa in the central jungle, Villa Ecologica in Arequipa and one in “La sierra” of Peru.
We also conclude that it is necessary for the lay Comboni to witness their missionary experience in all spheres, using social networks as means of missionary animation, diffusion and promotion of CLM vocation CML. Likewise, we are called to spread in all our activities the missionary spirit of St. Daniel Comboni.
We concluded the Assembly with the solemn Sunday mass, in which we pledged to redouble our efforts to live better our missionary charisma.

LMC Peru

CLM Peru

Hymn for the 150th anniversary of the Foundation of the Comboni Institute

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LOGO 150 aniversario MCCJThe Comboni missionaries of South Sudan have composed a Hymn for the 150th anniversary (1867-2017) of the Foundation of Comboni Institute. “It is a simple sign of celebration from our land – said Fr. Guido Oliana, one of the principal promoters of the initiative –. We have recorded it with our poor means. Maybe the result could be better, but it has an original and rustic South Sudanese touch and flavour. A group of seminarians of the Major Seminary of Juba and a Comboni Sister and her friend sing it.” You’ll find the “song” in the attachment and on the Comboni Website.

WE ARE CALLED TO GO AND PREACH

We are called to go and preach the joy of the Gospel.
The pierced Heart of Jesus kindles us in love.
We are called to go and preach the joy of the Gospel.
The pierced Heart of Jesus kindles us in love.

1. We are moved by Saint Comboni’s spirit
to be a cenacle of prayerful apostles.
We are born from Jesus’ pierced heart,
and enkindled by his tender love,
and inspired by his divine Spirit,
to go and preach his Gospel of joy

2. We are called Comboni Missionaries
of the Heart of Jesus Christ the Lord.
This indeed is our inspiration,
and our pride, our cross, and our glory.
We are told to be holy and capable,
well prepared to give our life for Christ.

3. We are called to contemplate the cross
so as to know how God has loved the world.
We are moved to reach out to people
and proclaim the power of the Gospel
that frees people from any evil spirit
and empowers them as children of God.