Comboni Lay Missionaries

Echoes of Christmas 2013 meeting

“All different, but all united in Comboni wearing the face and the Word of Jesus Christ here and beyond.”

We begin by thanking all those who have contributed directly or indirectly to make possible this Christmas gathering. We are grateful to Sandra for organizing the meeting, to Sister Carmen Ribeiro, Brother Paul and the secular missionary Joanna and Paula for sharing all that is essential for us, LMC candidates, to understand in particular this missionary vocation of the Comboni family. Thanks also to Father Avelino who shared his missionary experience and celebrated the Eucharist. Thanks, finally, to all others not mentioned but that they worked hard to make the meeting possible.

This meeting was full of smiles, hugs, moments of conviviality and animated dynamic. It was the sharing of a joy that with Jesus Christ reborn endlessly. This was a family reunion. We truly felt as a family. We are in the same boat and we rowed in the same direction. In this boat where they are not only all those with whom we live this weekend, but all the other members of the Comboni family no matter where they are and where are they from. We feel with renewed strength and with real and physical certainty of knowing united, not by blood, but by the same creator and make us share the same mission. All different in our vocation but all united in Comboni wearing the face and the Word of Jesus Christ here and there.

By Paula Sousa (Portugal)

 

 

Meeting of the Comboni Family in Rome

Consejos familia comboniana

On December 14th the general councils of the Comboni Family met together. Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Sisters, Secular and CLM to reflect together and find together ways of collaboration.

The meeting was conducted in the house of the Comboni Missionaries Sisters in Rome where we were very well received by the community.

In the morning animated by the Comboni Sisters, we were reflecting on Comboni and praying about what inspires us to a path of collaboration as Comboni family?

Each of the participants spoke of this reflection. On a personal level, about the agreements that the different institutes have been taken in this direction, lines and current collaborative experiences.

This is a challenge we look positive and recognize as our own charism that unites us. The intuition of Comboni in promoting the mission and the Catholic responsibility of it, uniting and facilitating collaboration with the various charismas and states within them.

We also had time to share the way we are doing throughout the year, common concerns and ways of collaboration.

We end this beautiful day celebrating the Eucharist, praying for all the Comboni missionaries (priests, brothers, sisters, secular and laity) that spread throughout the world give their lives for “the poorest and most abandoned” as Comboni wanted.

Every step we take as a family for the sake of the mission approaches us and keeps true the dream of Comboni.

 

We are one big family

encuentro LMC diciembre 2013From 6th to 8 December the CLM of Spain met in Madrid to celebrate our annual meeting in December. It has been a joy to get together almost everyone. And, certainly, we are ONE BIG FAMILY. No more papers than the Bible and the desire to let ourselves be challenged by what the Word of God raises. Challenges for us and our lives. We have enjoyed a few days of meeting to share from the heart, to listen to others and to let us be interpellate. Thanks to everyone for having made ​​possible by sharing illusions and dreams and the desire to keep walking and continue backing the mission.

Isidro Jimenez. CLM

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Dear family, I wanted to thank God very much for the days we have been able to celebrate and share together as a CLM family. It’s been beautiful days full of encounters and reencounters fruit of the Spirit that continues to dream of us, of the silent work and good work. These days I have remembered fondly, that appointment with which our community companion in Arequipa received our community, “went up to the mountain, he was calling who he wanted and they went with him. Appointed twelve [whom he called apostles] to coexist with him and send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. [So He appointed the Twelve]. Simon that he called Peter, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were called Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder, Andrew and Philip, Bartholomew and Matthew, Thomas, James of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who even betrayed him “Mk 3 13–19”. How Jesus comes to call all to work TOGETHER, a fisherman, a tax collector or a zealot? Would not it have been easier that had all been in the same profession or the same “zone”? And again, I thank God, because He call each and every one of us by our name and dreams of us individually and as a community, there always springs something new, different and better. A hug of Advent

Carmen Martín. CLM

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I give thanks for the “encounter”, a word that was repeated in the dynamics of the balloons and it was refer to our expectations in this time together, it wasn´t my personal word, that sought to “open heart”, because I felt in this previous step to make the event possible. We have to thank Miquel who accompanied us throughout Friday and Saturday to reconnect with our source through the Word of God, in a simple way, stripping us from preconceptions, and permitting to express what it was first suggested and express how it made us feel everything. We had chances to share, express ourselves, to know us, love us, ask us what we needed from each other, be more community and how gladly prays and celebrates after!

We must give thanks to Tere, with whom we spoke and told us in firsthand the reality in Central African Republic, also to Isabel and Gonzalo, the latter trying to recover from his latest misadventure in Peru and she trying to get the job of both, thanks to Xoancar too, though we not talked to him. Thanks to Carmen, Jose and little Pablo, who has become a big boy in Peru, they spoke to us from the heart, sharing with us what they have lived in that land, that will be forever linked. Thanks to Carmen Aranda who leaves in our name but doesn´t know yet where. And to Palmira, her partner at this time. And to all the other CLM around the word that Alberto reminds us that are always with us, and we are with them. Thanks to all of you attended for not giving up, and those you were not, that were few, lots of encouragement. Hugs,

Fátima Verdejo. CLM

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Updating the Plan of Comboni

Meeting of the Comboni Family in Spain

150 plan de ComboniTo celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Plan for the Regeneration of Africa written by St. Daniel Comboni, the Comboni family in Spain (Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Missionaries Sisters, Secular Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries) will meet the weekend 5th and 6th of April in Madrid.

It will be a time of reflection, prayer, fellowship and working together around the challenges that arise from Comboni insights to the reality of today.

This meeting will run by way of workshops and will be animated by Fr Joaquim Valente, Head of Comboni Studium.

We want to reflect on the challenges posed by the mission today rereading the Plan of Comboni at family key. Each specific vocation brings nuances that enrich this analysis. Comboni created us as Cenacle of Apostles in Africa, where religious, priests and laity work together to create a synergy that involve the whole Church to deal with the most abandoned continent of the world, Africa.

Currently as Comboni family we are in Africa, America, Asia and Europe. We want to be together faithful and update this missionary call that we receive from Jesus under the charism of Comboni.

In the communion of the same Comboni and missionary vocation, we greet you with affection, the members of the committee: Pedro Miguel Andrés (MCCJ), Carmina Ballesteros (CMS) and Alberto de la Portilla (CLM).