Brazil – Page 8 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

GEC in mission

4 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

Yesterday was celebrated the sending Mass of Regimar and Valmir, Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM).

The sending forth took place at the community Nossa Senhora Aparecida, at Ipê Amarelo – Contagem-MG.

The missionary couple decided to go on an overseas mission when they were participating in the GEC (Comboni Spirituality Group) of Balsas. They will travel to Mozambique this Wednesday, January 5th.

Let us continue to accompany this missionary couple with our friendship, prayer and sharing. Daniel Comboni, pray for us.

CLM Brazil

Three years of missionary presence in Brazil

6 October, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

We leave you a video of gratitude for the missionary presence in Brazil of this CLM family from Guatemala.

During these three years they have shared their life, together with their four children, with all the families of the neighborhood in Nova Contagem and the region of Minas Gerais.

CLM Brazil

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

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

In the desert with Comboni: challenges and joys of the mission in the pandemic.

21 August, 2021 by Alberto de la Portilla

Today’s challenges remind me of those of Comboni. They are not the same. Of course, in Comboni’s time they were much more difficult. The desert crossing, the various diseases, the fevers, the broken arm that had to be broken again to put it back in place (I shudder just to think of it), etc.

But now we are also living in a time of desert. The expectation of the trip to Africa, the sending of documents, the pandemic, the wait for the vaccine, the request for renewal of documents and the wait again. All for a greater cause, which is Jesus.

But through it all, I can’t complain. I was welcomed with great affection and the work is producing results.

After a stop for life: because the virus does not mess around and we value the welfare and life of our people, the people of God. Little by little, and following all the WHO guidelines, we are resuming some pastoral work.

We have restarted the adult and children’s choir, but with only two members at a time. (photos of the rehearsals).

The catechesis is done online to preserve the health of the children. The participation is very good, even in spite of some difficulties such as the lack of Internet in some families. So that these children are not harmed, we have chosen to visit them without entering their homes and without them going out. It is a catechesis from the door of the house, in the street, without physical contact, without proximity.

Group of catechists from the community of Nossa Senhora Aparecida (Ipê Amarillo neighborhood).

We have resumed the liturgical formation with the team of the community, since there are few people, we do it in person without forgetting the care.

We participated in the triduum of the martyr Fr. Ezequiel Ramín, together with the parish and the parish group of Comboni spirituality.

We have made and participated in some videoconferences.

In the coming days we will celebrate the national week of the family in the parish, the catechesis meeting with the confirmation group, in addition to the existing works.

A few days ago I discovered a new hidden talent (laughs), I discovered myself as a wall painter. Together with the Camey family from Guatemala, we painted the façade of the Comboni House. Modesty aside, it looks beautiful!

In social work we are together registering and distributing baskets of basic commodities. This is a collaboration with the diocese. These baskets come from the fine that the mining company Vale paid for the Brumadinho disaster.

And so we continue the mission in the way the Lord presents it to us.

It is rewarding and I can say with certainty that I will miss Ipê Amarelo, its people and especially the children.

Maria Regimar, CLM at the Mission House of Santa Teresinha, in Ipê Amarelo, Contagem/MG. Brazil.