This 5-minute video (in Spanish) presents what it has been done in this last year by the “Churches and Mining” network, in which there is a great involvement of the Comboni Family (among them our CLM).
Brazil
News from the CLM Liliana and Flávio – The Harvest Festival in Piquiá, Brazil
Last Sunday, June 9, the Harvest Festival was held in the community of San José of the settlement of João do Vale part of the parish of Santa Luzía de Piquiá, Brazil. It was attended by more than a thousand people from the various parishes of the city of Acailândia and by Bishop Vilson Basso of Emperatriz.
The goal of this celebration, already in its 10th edition, is to celebrate the gift of the harvest and to reflect on the earth as the venue of work and means of subsistence for the family, to remember the struggles and demand justice in the right to own land and in respecting creation.
This year’s theme was “Family agriculture in defense of life” and the motto was “Cultivation and the care of creation” as per Genesis 2:15.
The celebration opened with a welcome in the local sports center and with a breakfast prepared with the local products of the earth (manioc, pumpkin and a variety of fruit) coming from the sharing of the various communities in attendance. The Eucharist followed, during wich Bishop Vilson Basso spoke of the importance of family agriculture and of the duty to fight for ownership of the land and to denounce the oppressors. He stressed the importance of not giving up, because it is a just struggle, and also of the need for unity. He also remembered the 10 farmers who were murdered in a ranch in the State of Pará (https://www.cptnacional.org.br/index.php/publicacoes-2/destaque/3794-chacina-em-redenca-pa-deixa-pelo-menos -10-posseiros muertos) and all those who are persecuted or coerced to leave their land.
At the offertory, the various communities presented at the Lord’s altar some of their agricultural products as a sign of gratitude and of hope in a more respectful relationship between humankind and creation.
After lunch, there were many cultural shows in the form of theatre, dances and games, ending with the handing over to each community of a sapling of Ipê and with the announcement of the community that will hold the festival next year.
Liliana Ferreira and Flávio Schmidt, CLM in Brazil
Visit of the Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries at Piquiá, Brazil
On July 31 here in the mission of Piquiá, in Maranhão, we received the visit of the superior general of the Comboni Missionaries, Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse, accompanied by the provincial superior of Brazil, Fr. Dario Bossi. For the occasion we were joined by the community of Balsas, also located in Maranhão.
I feel that for the general it was an important moment to see first hand the reality of this mission, especially of the people of Piquiá de Baixo, who are asking for the resettlement of the neighborhood.
It was also an important moment of togetherness and sharing as a Comboni family! We had the opportunity to share our activities and perspectives.
The visit ended the evening of August 2 with a solemn Mass, well attended by the communities, not only from the parish of Santa Lucía, but also from St. John the Baptist, an old Comboni parish. The Mass was followed by a reception.
It was beautiful to see the affection of the people for the presence and the history of the Comboni Missionaries in this mission.
Let us pray always for vocations, both for the Comboni family and for the entire Church!
Flávio Schmidt, CLM Brazil
New Experience in Brazil
We arrived! On June 3 we set foot in Piquiá!
At the airport of Imperatriz we were received by CLM Xoán Carlos who took us by car to Açailândia.
After about a one hour journey we reached the house where we will stay, which had already been prepared for us with the help of the local community.
At 7:00 p.m. some community leaders, the Comboni Missionaries, Xoán Carlos and his wife Dida came over bringing something for a lovely supper we all shared together. We were given time to introduce ourselves individually, to chat and share in relaxed and vivacious atmosphere.
The next day we had lunch with the Comboni Missionaries and the team that gives social and legal support to the people of the community of Piquiá de Baixo, who are in the process of resettling.
So, a little at a time, we are getting closer to and getting to know the situation and the people, in order to integrate ourselves in this common journey in the establishing the Kingdom of God.
We count on the prayers of all of you!
Flávio and Liliana
Yearly Assembly of CLM in Brazil
On June 21-22 we held our Yearly Assembly of the CLM of Brazil at the Comboni Minor Seminary Bro. Alfredo Fiorini of Curitiba, PR.
The theme, “To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ACLM with daring and missionary commitment,” helped us to review our history and to have a privileged time of exchange, sharing, community living and celebration during this year when we complete 20 years since the creation of the Association of Comboni Lay Missionaries – ACLM.
In the context of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Comboni Institute, we were graced by having with us the MCCJ provincial, Fr. Dario, who helped us reflect, by way of a comparative diagram, on some of the fundamental intuitions of Comboni and of Pope Francis. We also the enjoyed the presence Sr. Nilma de Jesús, provincial of the Comboni Missionary Sisters of Brazil, who shared some of the essential moments of the missionary journey. As a united Comboni Family, Mission takes shape in our being as relationship, nearness, reaching planned goals in the world of our peripheries, of the prisons, of those who have no land, of the indigenous people, of those who have no voice and no chances: all those who live at the margins. We lived through a great fraternal meeting because, due to the distances and the realities around us, we cannot meet as often as we would like. It was a privileged moment to nourish what is mystical, replenish the strength, reinforce the ties and reflect on our faith and on our missionary identity.
Each day the invitation is renewed to be open to others, to widen the horizons, to be on the move, to share faith and life, and be signs. Our missionary vocation impels us to move out of our reality, to break through borders, to go to meet God with the least, to celebrate hope and to become family with humankind.
We had the opportunity to talk about the present situation of the ACLM, its progress and difficulties. It is a journey that is taking shape, despite its frailties. Thus we recognize this treasure we carry with us and our responsibility to continue to promote mission in the Church and to awaken all to our common commitment as people who have been baptized.
The highlight of our meeting was the Thanksgiving Mass for the 20th anniversary of the ACLM celebrated in the parish of Santa Amelia, which has been a great source of support in the CLM journey since the beginning in 1995. The welcoming of the CLM couple, Liliana and Flávio, who are traveling to Maranhão, in the region of Piquía, and their missionary sharing, touched all present in a special way and very fraternally we celebrated and shared our new projects in a mix of joy, as well as tears, dreams and desires.
We left with some stated objectives and the desire to work more united as Comboni Family, both in mission and in mission promotion, strengthening the groups of Comboni spirituality found in Curitiba and Balsas as well as other places where the Spirit blows. We also felt united to the journey of the International CLM and with our brothers and sisters spread over more than 20 countries across the globe with whom we will hold the International Assembly of the CLM in 2018.
With the grace of celebrating the 300th anniversary of Our Mother Aparecida, inspired by St. Daniel Comboni in the following of Jesus and united to the missionary journey of the Church in Brazil and in the world, may we be ready to guard and to help flourish every day more the missionary call of the Comboni vocation. Let us stay in touch!
CLM of Brazil
