Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Brazil

Caring for our common home and democracy is a daily struggle!

by
LMC Brasil

At the Generating Hope for Climate Justice conference, promoted by the Vatican to mark the 10th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that “there is no room for indifference or resignation,” and among many warnings, he spoke of the need for “Everyone in society, through non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups, must pressure governments to develop and implement stricter regulations, procedures, and controls. Citizens need to take an active role in political decision-making at the national, regional, and local levels.”

This call from the Pope is directly linked to the reflection made in this year’s Cry of the Excluded, a demonstration that takes place in Brazil every September 7, as we can read in the sharing made by the Italian CLM, Emma Chiolini, below:

The demonstration has had a profound meaning since its creation in 1995, highlighting existing inequalities in various areas, such as lack of access to health care, education, housing, decent work, and security, which will still not be guaranteed to everyone in 2025. This year’s event also has the motto “Caring for our common home and democracy is a daily struggle!”, reflecting the connection with the climate and social crises and the defense of democracy at a time of internal and external threats. In addition, this year in particular, there was solidarity with the Palestinian people and the genocide they are suffering in an unprecedented, politically, socially, and humanly unjust war. More than a protest, the Cry of the Excluded represents popular resistance, articulating the defense of human rights, national sovereignty, and democracy. The demonstration is, therefore, a call for solidarity and citizen participation, reaffirming that the struggle for social justice must be constant so that Brazil and the world can move toward a more just, democratic, and sustainable society.

In 2025, the movement strengthens these demands by promoting a Popular Plebiscite, whose objective is to include the population in decisions on issues such as the reduction of working hours, the end of the 6×1 shift, and the taxation of the super-rich. Everyone’s participation is important; it is democracy, it is equality, it is recognition. We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of those who are crushed daily by this society. We cannot remain indifferent to inequality. We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of oppressed peoples and the arrogance of the strongest. Therefore, the cry of the Excluded must not be silenced, nor must the denunciation of those who wish to silence it be silenced. I believe in a path that is built together, that starts from below, from the people, from a critical consciousness that allows us to see that the struggle must be constant and continuous. Bertolt Brecht said that when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes a duty. In a globalized world, we can no longer say that we do not know. Pepe Mujica left us a quote that serves as an example for our daily lives: “Politics is a struggle for the happiness of all.” In a world where humanity seems to be disappearing, let us make a difference again: let us be human again!

Emma Chiolini, Salvador, Brazil

Casa Familiar Rural de Açailândia celebrates its 20th anniversary

by
LMC Brasil
LMC Brasil

On the evening of Friday, September 26, Casa Familiar Rural de Açailândia (CFR) held the 13th edition of its traditional Peasant Philosophy Night. This annual celebration aims to highlight the knowledge and awareness of the peasant people.

The event, organized by the school’s pedagogical coordination, administration, and student body, had as its theme this year “CFR, 20 Years Planting Knowledge and Harvesting Wisdom: rural education, youth, and family farming.” The evening was filled with memorable moments, such as the opening ceremony, the reading of the speech by the Comboni Missionary from Congo, Father Joseph Mumbere, the artistic presentation by the first-year class, and the awarding of agricultural technician degrees to the graduates, followed by a spectacular fireworks display accompanied by tears and hugs.

The Rural Family Houses, a model that originated in France and was brought to Brazil in the late 1960s, are structured around alternating pedagogy, general and technical training, and family succession. The CFR in Açailândia was founded by Comboni Lay Missionaries in 2001, welcoming its first classes of young people from the countryside in 2005. Despite facing many challenges, it has already trained more than 200 students, children of the peasant class from various municipalities in the region.

Xoancar, CLM

Peace with Creation

by
LMC Mozambique

Throughout history, many human activities have contributed to the destruction of creation.

Today, more than ever, some of these activities take the form of a war against creation. Some bear more responsibility for this crisis than others.

However, there is hope for a peaceful earth. Isaiah 32:14-18 envisions a peaceful creation where God’s people will live only when justice is achieved.

Hope is being able to see that there is light, despite all the darkness, said Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

We cannot and must not combat climate change without working closely together.

The Laudato Si Circle of the Archdiocese of Nampula, Mozambique, in union with several Christian churches, held an ecumenical prayer service for creation on Sunday, September 21, with the theme “Peace for Creation” and the symbol “Garden of Peace,” inspired by Isaiah 32:18, as part of Creation Time. A time of prayer and action for our common home, which occurs every year from September 1 to October 4.

The service was celebrated by the Catholic Church, nine Evangelical churches, and the Laudato Si movement, with approximately 500 people in attendance.

It was an afternoon of praise, thanksgiving, and asking God for forgiveness.

We recognize the urgent call to action, and we recognize that we can only respond on the basis of faith. The season of creation is a source of strength and unity (Dr. Anne Burghardt, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation).

We are all invited to care for the place God has given us to live.

The next interfaith meeting in Nampula is already scheduled for October 4.

Regimar Costa.

CLM Brazil in Mozambique.

The joy of Yes

by
LMC Brasil

The invitation received in one of the first houses visited was to “leave the rush behind”! In a loving way, it was a warning for us to open ourselves to the realization that life can have another rhythm and that we could deeply enjoy the grace experienced during these days in Capela Nova/MG in a contemplative and transformative way together with these people.

With great enthusiasm, a team made up of members of the Comboni Family from various parts of Brazil and the world gathered from August 2 to 10 at the Parish of Nossa Senhora das Dores to participate in the priestly ordination of Comboni Missionary Alex Nunes, held on August 9. It was a joy to experience this generous Yes together with him and his family and friends.

The purpose of this missionary week was to visit families, give thanks for the religious and missionary vocation of Alex, who was born and raised in the region, and to encourage the local Church in view of the Mission. These were intense days of visits to the 23 communities of the parish, meeting the sick, the elderly, the young, and all the People of God who gathered every day after the visits for the celebration of Mass in the communities.

Capela Nova is located in the state of Minas Gerais and enchanted us with its landscapes; it surprised us with its religiosity; it captivated us with its welcoming people, with open hearts and doors. There were many cups of coffee, good conversations, stories, and friendships that will remain.

The presence of the Comboni Family during these festive days certainly left its mark on the city. But we found a parish community that cultivates an attitude of openness, welcome, and communion, signs of a missionary church.

There are many biblical examples where this invitation to go out appears: it was so with Abraham, with the prophet Jeremiah, and this invitation remains relevant today. The region of Capela Nova is a fertile place for vocations, and Alex is the first Comboni missionary priest dedicated to the mission beyond the borders of his parish. His testimony revives this call of a church that goes out.

There were many expressions of affection, sharing, welcome, challenging realities, and the joy of hearing someone say: “This week helped me realize that we need to reach out more to those around us, who sometimes need a visit, a friendly hug!”

It is surprising, but the missionary dynamic subverts logic; we come away strengthened, cherished, and renewed in hope. May St. Daniel Comboni continue to inspire us, may we lose our fear of going out more and more and beyond our borders, for the danger is that we close ourselves in our structures that give us false protection, in activities that comfort us, while around us there is a hungry crowd.

May the example of Alex, who was baptized in this parish and will exercise his missionary spirit in other lands, help each of us to be missionaries of hope among peoples, here and beyond borders.

Cristina Paulek

Comboni Lay Missionary

Communities celebrate 40 years since the martyrdom of Father Ezequiel Ramin and reaffirm their commitment to justice and faith

by
LMC Brasil

This Sunday (20), the Father Ezequiel Ramin Community celebrated a historic and symbolic milestone: the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Comboni missionary Ezequiel Ramin and also the 40th anniversary of the existence of the community that bears his name, in the municipality of Mirante da Serra (RO). The event brought together around 300 people, with representatives from neighboring communities and the Father Ezequiel Settlement, which also celebrates 25 years of its foundation.

The celebration was part of the 10th Pilgrimage of Father Ezequiel Ramin, which will take place on July 27th at the Fr. Ezequiel Ramin Community in Rondolândia, Mato Grosso. The Pilgrimage aims to keep alive the memory of the young missionary, who dedicated his life to defending the poor, rural workers, and indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

One of the most moving moments of the celebration was the presence and testimony of Fabiano Ramin, Father Ezequiel’s younger brother, who came from Italy especially to participate in the program commemorating the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom and the founding of the community. In his speech, marked by restrained emotion and profound gratitude, Fabiano emphasized the power of the memory that remains alive among the people Ezequiel chose to serve with his life.

“I feel like crying, but I won’t. Old people feel like crying when they’re very emotional. So, I’m in that situation. I’m the youngest of the Ramin family, and I’m very grateful to you for this celebration, for this occasion that commemorates not only the murder of Father Ezequiel, but also the birth of the community, the baptism of a people who continue to fight.”

He emphasized that the celebration is not just a remembrance of the past, but an act of hope and continuity: “I’m very happy to see that this community is alive. It fights, resists, and organizes itself. As the parish priest said, it requires sacrifice, time, and effort. The Christian mission, as Ezekiel wrote, is proclamation and denunciation. Denouncing injustice is part of faith. And you continue this mission.”

The presence of Comboni missionaries in Mirante da Serra throughout Missionary Week reaffirmed the continuity of the charism and mission of Father Ezequiel Ramin, who was also a Comboni missionary. They participated in pastoral activities, home visits, and moments of listening and prayer with the families of Our Lady of Migrants Parish, Diocese of Ji-Paraná.

The missionary presence reinforces the international and liberating dimension of the Church in the Amazon—a Church that walks with the people, listening to their pain and hopes. By visiting homes, the Comboni Missionaries strengthened community bonds and also revived Ezekiel’s missionary spirit: a faith that denounces injustice and proclaims hope.

The celebration continued with a community lunch, listening to residents, a performance by Clown Liro and closing with community bingo.

One of the most symbolic moments was the mystical performance performed by young people from the community, which portrayed the struggle for land and denounced the structures that led to Father Ezequiel’s martyrdom: “He was murdered because he defended the landless, the squatters, the indigenous people. Because he believed in a just society.“

CLM Brazil

You may read the original full version: https://iper-amazonia.com.br/noticias/comunidade-celebra-40-anos-do-martirio-de-padre-ezequiel-ramin-e-reafirma-compromisso-com-justica-e-fe/