Comboni Lay Missionaries

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With our hearts in the mission

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P._Enrique_Sanchez

“I do not want to hide from you here that when the Holy See entrusted this vast and difficult Mission to me, my conscience was somewhat uneasy, for I was aware of my limitations with regard to this enormous mandate that God has entrusted to me through His august Vicar Pius IX. Then I realized that with our forces we will never succeed in founding Catholicism in these immense regions where the Church, despite the efforts of so many centuries, has never been successful. So I placed all my trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and have decided to consecrate the whole Vicariate to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on 14th September next. I have sent a circular letter for this purpose, to make it a great solemnity, and I have asked that admirable apostle of the Sacred Heart, Fr Ramière, to compose the act of solemn Consecration, which he has completed.”(Writings3318).

Dear confreres,

As the feast of the Sacred Heart approaches, I wish to share with you this brief reflection to help us prepare for this celebration, fixing our eyes on that open Heart from which our missionary vocation is born, to draw the strength we need at this point of our journey as heirs of St. Daniel Comboni.

On 31 July, 1873, St. Daniel Comboni wrote a letter to Mgr. Joseph De Girardin from which I have taken the text with which I am starting my reflection. I chose it because it seems to me to contain some elements that correspond to this moment of our life and our mission and merit some reflection on our part.

As in those days, it is not difficult to affirm that the mission entrusted to us continues to be vast and laborious; it often seems to us to be even more demanding and beyond our strength. This – and I do not delay in saying it – is of no help to living it out responsibly and effectively.

The past thirty years have seen remarkable developments in the Institute. In its process of growth, it became involved in many sectors, on many fronts and in many and varied missionary situations whose vastness is plain to see. The immense Vicariate of Central Africa has become even broader with our presence in four continents and such a variety of missionary commitments as to make us feel we are present on all the fronts of the mission. For some of us, this fact is positive and seems to fill the need of boosting one’s ego, making us think we are great missionaries because we bring the Gospel to the four corners of the planet and to all the suburbs of humanity, to use an expression dear to Pope Francis.

To its vastness we must add laboriousness, the complexity of a mission that is demanding, challenging and undergoing profound change due to the frenetic pace of change in the world and in society. The mission is changing without allowing us the time to understand how to react and the great danger seems to be the inability, on our part, to anticipate these mutations.

However, the laboriousness inherent in mission today becomes a challenge to our creativity, our ability to question and to dream so as to take new paths that make us walk in unknown and unheard-of lands – as we were told some time ago – inviting us to avoid living on what we have inherited, which may deceive us with the pretence of missionary omnipotence.

Comboni, in that letter of 1873, said he was uncertain as he knew his own nothingness. Today, we too are becoming more aware of our nothingness. Not only because the statistics show that the numbers of our personnel are decreasing. I do not think it is simply a question of numbers. I believe that this nothingness may make us understand that our forces will never be sufficient to respond to the demands of the mission and that the Lord does not think in terms of numbers.

Sagrado CorazónWhere, then, should we turn our gaze and from where shall we draw strength and light to live radically our Comboni missionary vocation?

I think that, today, our nothingness must be measured by looking at the quality of our lives, our coherence in carrying out personal commitments and the life-options we have made, at our ability to avoid being superficial in living out our religious consecration for the mission, at our complete willingness to go and serve the poorest, at our freedom to avoid being confused by the facile suggestions of our world: consumerism, appearance, superficiality, etc.

Without reference to anyone in particular and with no desire to rebuke anyone, I think that each of us must recognise his own poverty, his own fragility and his own limits and the temptation to make of the mission something that is useful to me rather than that reality which calls me to give myself unconditionally and without using pretence to make it become a “mission made to measure”.

I have the greatest admiration for confreres who live with great enthusiasm, dedication and spirit of sacrifice in situations of unspeakable violence and danger. They are the hidden stones needed – as Comboni reminds us – to build up the mission. It is in the light of this testimony that we must measure our response to the call we have received and to discover how great, strong and capable we may be in order to embrace the mission entrusted to us today.

Comboni says in all humility: “I thought that with our forces we would never succeed”. It was not an expression of discouragement but rather the conviction that he was carrying with him a mission that does not depend on us. “Then I threw all my trust upon the Heart of Jesus”. Perhaps, or, rather, without doubt, now is the time for us to experience this abandonment and trust, of faith and openness to the plan of God in our lives, and this does not mean hiding ourselves in a spirituality that takes us out of reality or absolve us from the responsibility of being involved in building up the Kingdom.

Trust in the sacred Heart of Jesus is still, for us today, the challenge that obliges us to get our hands dirty with the transformation of our humanity by means of our missionary service, not forgetting that the only true protagonist of mission is, and always will be, the Lord.

If Comboni willed to consecrate his Vicariate to this Heart, which is nothing else than the unlimited love of God for us and all those to whom he sends us as his missionaries, I think it is worthwhile living this feast by renewing our availability so that the Lord may carry out his plan for us, recognising that the mission that is born of his Heart has a good future ahead of it. It is for this reason that we must trust that the Lord will not disappoint us.

Happy Feast day to you all.

P. Enrique Sánchez G. mccj

We need missionaries

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MozambiqueDuring this time, where I have been fortunate to serve in the international organization of the CLM, I have had the treasure of meeting and interacting with many missionaries around the world.

Many letters we have crossed from one side to another. Many share the joy of a life in service to others, how in their commitment have realized how their life have been filled and they become happier. They tell me about their dreams and difficulties in their work in the outskirts of the large cities, the adventures of teaching in a school with few resources but with amazing students. Looking for a good professional training for students and families of the communities where they live, care for the sick in hospitals and health posts where they are.

They also share how they live their faith with the communities where they are; the responsibility of each member of the community, bringing the Word of God to remote places on foot, by bike, jeep or canoe.

There are a myriad of experiences, joys and difficulties shared with people.

But I also get many requests for staff. Missionaries are needed! In many places the call repeats: are there people available to come to our community?

Cooperation projects are important, schools, hospitals, cooperatives, denunciation of the injustices… all is central and needs people to continue encouraging and being bridges. Someone reminded me that “the bricks do not embrace.” And it’s true, if there is something that I usually hear from the simple people is to thank for the company that offer the missionaries, to be with them, supporting them in tough times, celebrating the joys together… to have this close embrace. Make present the love of God through their hands supporting them and accompanying the road.

Therefore, in this celebration of Pentecost let the Spirit fill us, take us out of our closed rooms and bring us to the middle of the square, to the road.

If you feel a missionary concern I invite you to find the nearest group in the place where you live. You can also visit our website where you will find the contact of the 20 countries where we are in Europe, Africa or America. Find other people like you and find a time to discern your vocation.

Do not wait! Now is the time! Do not delay the response and start your formation that may lead you to your missionary service.

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Comboni said that “the mission is a plan of love for which we shouldn´t spare any effort”.

Is up to you!

Three months in London

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LondonThree months has lasted our experience in London, in this process of intensive training before leaving for mission, where we worked to improve our English, and where we could know each other better and walk among us as a Community.

It have been the last stage before traveling to Africa, Gulu (Uganda) and it’s been a time we live intensely, to confirm our vocation and to confirm ourselves in this way. Since we landed in March, (Monika, Ewa, Asia and me), we have shared joys, birthdays, walks on the “city”, cultural visits, prayers, moments of doubt, some moments of sadness, but a lot of conversation and laughter.

We have also shared our hopes, our experience of God and our desire to live in this world with an attentive and generous heart. We have begun to discover each other praying together, listening, wondering, watching and we all want to do so in African soil.

We felt welcomed and cared by the Community of Comboni Fathers who have helped us with the language and manage on this amazing city, making these months have passed quickly and without any difficulty.

With the ending of our English classes, our meetings and other activities with people from school, we have realized it was time to start saying goodbye.

Ends specific training, but we know that training always will continue wherever we´ll go, learning every day… and let God transform us slowly. We will try to be open to the Gospel and to evangelization trough others.

With a big smile we leave this country, another experience in the heart, and with our suitcase in hand we are now ready for the next destination…

LondonCarmen Aranda

Secular Comboni Missionary joins the Community of Mongoumba

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Palmira

Last May 11 was sent in her home parish Palmira Pinheiro, Secular Comboni Missionary that after a period of training in Spain and France along the CLM is already part of the CLM international community present in Mongoumba (CAR).

Palmira, retired nurse, arrived in Bangui (Central African Republic capital) on Tuesday with her suitcases full of enthusiasm and desire to work with the Central African people. There she will work with the CLM Teresa Monzón and Elia Gomes (Spanish and Portuguese CLM) in the mission of Mongoumba. Joining the community reinforces the missionary presence among the Central African people making actually the dream of Comboni of being a Cenacle of Apostles in the middle of the African people.

Palmira, we wish you all the best in this new phase of your life. Remember you have all our support and our prayers.

Another moment of Comboni Family

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Combonianas Europa

Last weekend I had the chance to participate in the assembly of the Europe province of the Comboni missionary Sisters. In Madrid they reunited sisters arrived from Berlin, Paris, UK, Portugal and Spain each of them with the hope of sharing their day-to-day missionary call.

I know that some people see the assemblies as a few days of long sitting and hearing many words. I think the assemblies of the Comboni Family are moments to share experiences and create missionary illusions.

This province born with the illusion of understanding and propose significant missionary presence in Europe, at a time when the mission is conceived not only as a geographical shift from north to south of the world, but as a meeting with all “South’s” that are scattered throughout the world, for a meeting with the brothers and sisters who live apart or are excluded. We met with our hearts full of missionary experiences on African, American, Asian soil that want to show in Europe the need to live in communion with those peoples more poor and abandoned. These hearts cannot close here but also be open here in Europe where there are victims of exclusion, exploitation, poverty … Knit in community, in family, a prophetic life style means to side with the underdog, of those who has less opportunities. Knowing that so many situations in the South are still bleeding but been aware that in this global village the interrelationship among everything, the interdependence makes us stand beside those who suffer anywhere in the globe, in solidarity one with the other, seeking a better world for all, where the causes, actions and consequences of our chores are strongly interlinked in this global village we inhabit.

From this fact we reflected on the need for reconciliation in our communities, in our environment. Only from the love that transforms the heart, and then generates life, we can offer an increasingly fraternal relations, understanding us as daughters and children of the same Father (Abba), enables us to rise above differences and difficulties in establishing bonds of brotherhood.

It has resonate strongly the Comboni´s intuition of the Cenacle of Apostles be made ​of religious brothers, priests, religious sisters, secular and lay as one family. This gift of the Comboni charism challenges us to think together, to work together, to pray together and suggest as a family the need for mission today.

The challenges of ministerial service, the missionary presence wherever we are, in the work of missionary animation (opening doors and windows to make known the life that is in need of our support in many corners of the world), the work with situations of South’s situations in Europe like immigrants, trafficking persons, peripheries where commitment to issues of justice and peace is necessary to address situations like a closeness hug to attend people… all networked with the lay that everyday are engaged in these realities, with other congregations, with social entities, with a real networking that fortify the action of every individual and institution engaged in this service to give life in abundance to those who need it most.

Revitalize everyday our community life, where everyone is protagonists, where we may propose a more humane style of life, sustainable, close to the needy, open and welcoming to those around us.

The formation that help us grow in our spirituality, to be attentive to new realities, to be prepared for a better service, which balances our doing with reflection and prayer that helps us to be and work with sense to the everyday of our lives.

To cap we also celebrate the 50th years of votes of three of the sisters present, witness of fidelity and devotion that encourages us in our missionary journey.

Therefore each assembly of the Comboni Family, and this one confirmed, it remains to be a place to pray and dream a better world, to walk together on the path of Emmaus to discover the presence of Jesus that is on our side and unfolds and open our eyes to the realities of this world, encouraged and precedes us on the way to Galilee.

Thanks for these days

Alberto de la Portilla