Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Meeting of the General Councils of the Comboni Family in Rome

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Consejos Generales Familia Comboniana

The General Councils of the Comboni Family – Combonian missionaries, Combonian sisters, Combonian seculars, and Alberto de la Portilla, coordinator of the Central Committee of the Combonian Lay Missionaries – met for their annual meeting from the morning of Saturday, 31st May to noon on Sunday, 1st June, at the General Curia of the Combonian missionaries in Rome.

Moved by the desire to revive hope in the exceptional circumstance of the Jubilee, the traditional annual meeting of the General Councils of the Comboni Family (GCCF) took place on Saturday 31st May and Sunday 1st June at the General Curia of the Comboni missionaries. Present were the members of the General Councils of the Comboni Missionaries (MCCJ), Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS) and Comboni Secular Missionaries (CSM); the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) were represented by Alberto de la Portilla, the coordinator of the Central Committee. Father Austine Radol Odhiambo, a new member of the General Council of the MCCJ, who was at his first meeting of the CGFC, was welcomed.

The participants experienced intense hours of prayer, reflection and dialogue, helped by Brother Alberto Degan, who presented a reflection entitled ‘Spes non Confundit – The Spirit, source of our Hope’.

The meeting began with a prolonged sharing both on the journey made by the various realities over the past year (highlighting the main steps taken) and on possible developments in the near future.

They then discussed the situation in Sudan, which worries the whole Comboni Family, especially the Comboni missionaries and Comboni sisters, who in recent years have seen their presence reduced to a small group of confrères and sisters. If the desire to return to Sudan is clear and strong in everyone, it is equally clear that we cannot simply ‘return’ to do what was done in the past, because the Sudan of today is no longer the Sudan we knew. The dialogue will continue on the basis of more precise information, which we hope to obtain shortly.

They then spoke about the Comboni Forum on Integral Ecology, which will take place in Belém (Brazil) in November, to coincide with the 30th Conference of Parties (Cop30), offering precise information and indications to facilitate participation in the event.

The dialogue then better defined how to proceed in the drafting of a common instrument (a dossier, or an insert, to be presented in the Comboni magazines and websites, or made known through other dissemination tools of the Comboni Family) that can highlight the fact that the Comboni charism is lived as a common charismatic origin, but with different styles of presence and different methodological emphasis, and with a fruitful collaboration in different geographical and cultural contexts.

Lastly, Interculturality was identified as a topic of great relevance and common interest, which will be the underlying theme of the next meeting of the GCCFs, which will take place on 30th and 31st May 2026 at the Comboni sisters’ General House in Rome.

The meeting concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, presided over by Father David Domingues, Vicar General of the MCCJ.

Brother Daniele Giusti, MCCJ

———– ———–

Comboni Missionaries (MCCJ): Father Codianni Luigi Fernando, general superior; Fr. David Costa Domingues, general vicar; Bro. Lamana Cónsola Alberto; Fr. Radol Austine Odhiambo; Fr. Sindjalim Essognimam Elias.

Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS): Madre Anne Marie Quigg, general superior; Sr. María de los Angeles Funes Rodríguez, general vicar; Sr. Alicia Vacas Moro; Sr. Veronicah Wangũi Mbũrũ; Sr. Eleonora Reboldi.

Comboni Secular Missionaries (CSM): Dal Zovo Maria Pia, general responsible; Zenere Teresa; Villamar Ultreras Gina; Paula Clara Macedo Ferreira Carvalho; Ghelfi Paola.

Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM): Alberto de la Portilla, coordinator of the Central Committee.

Fuente: Comboni.org

Running to the aid of those in need (In the footsteps of the Risen One V)

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Resucitado
Resucitado

In the second meaning of the word RESUCITAR (to resurrect), the RAE dictionary tells us that colloquially it means “to restore, renew, give new life to something.”

This summer I had a missionary experience in Mozambique with five other companions. During this experience, I met Mrs. M., a widow with a deep faith who had spent her long life working as a teacher. She had a very warm personality and cared deeply about all her neighbors. A few years ago, in her desire to help others, she gathered a group of people, members of the Songo parish, to start the Caritas group from scratch.

Thanks to her efforts and those of her collaborators, Caritas Songo was launched with the fundamental objective of restoring dignity to all those in need in the village.

Every day, she would go out on foot with her group to visit, accompany, distribute, listen… always with a smile on her face and a transparent gaze that showed the merciful Jesus she carried to everyone.

I could talk about many of the experiences I shared with Mrs. M., but the one that impressed me the most was the day we went with the group to respond to an emergency call. An elderly man had been left on the street because he had been kicked out of the house where he lived. He took refuge in an abandoned, dirty, dilapidated room with no door. The neighbors alerted her to the situation, and Mrs. M., without hesitation, came to his aid, taking money out of her own pocket to cover the old man’s basic needs, mainly food and water. She asked the community to mobilize to find a solution to the problem of the missing door, and they quickly managed to bring one that solved the old man’s lack of privacy and security. And just as the Good Samaritan did, she left more money with one of the man’s neighbors so that she could buy more food and whatever else he needed.

Her generosity, selflessness, and humanity, in the style of the Gospel, made us think about our own attitudes and behaviors in the society in which we live. Would we have acted in the same way? Probably not.

Two months ago, I received the news of her death. The same Jesus who was present in her charitable work called her to reward her and thank her for being Good News.

Mrs. M. was determined to restore, renew, and give new life, that is, to RESURRECT, all those who came to her for help. Nor did she forget to go to those who could not or did not want to come to the parish. Those were her chosen ones, the same ones whom Jesus approached because he knew that they would not take the first step.

Now she enjoys the RESURRECTION that she gave to so many people in Songo.

Faina Toledo, CLM

In the footsteps of the Risen Christ (IV)

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Resucitado
Resucitado

Some years ago in a village, belonging to the parish of Mongoumba, there was a Christian family, engaged in the parish, the father, a catechist, had several children; one of them, Eloy, was 10 years old.

One day Eloy went to bathe in the river, as usual, and when he returned home he collapsed, without consciousness, and went into a coma.

His father quickly took him to the health center, where there was nothing they could do, because the center was very basic, and they directed him to the hospital in Mongoumba.

LMC RCA

When they arrived at the hospital and admitted him, no one knew how to give an answer, the possibilities of doing tests, analysis are nonexistent, there is no equipment to do a CAT scan. And his father, Jean Batiste, not knowing what to do and where to call, went to seek comfort at the church and spoke to the parish priest; and from that moment on in community prayer, Eloy and his family were always present and we tried to support the family, both physically and spiritually.

We do not know how or why, but one day Eloy began to wake up, his body was still paralyzed.

The rehabilitation center “DA TI NDOYE”, which belongs to the parish, took him in. With everyone’s effort and hope, the physiotherapist began to work with him.

LMC RCA

After a month of daily work and effort Eloy, in his wheelchair, began to attend the mission school, his dream was to play soccer.

In Mongoumba, he continued his life, as normal as possible, attended catechesis, as in his community, and received baptism and first communion.

One Sunday, during mass, at the moment of approaching communion and in front of everyone, he stood up and without anyone’s help he managed to get there by himself.

Ten years later, on Easter Sunday, I met Eloy in his community, with his friends; he is a young man of 20 years old, autonomous, who walks without any external support and has a smile that fills the heart of those who receive it.

Teresa Monzon, CLM Mongoumba

Iza from Poland Arrives in Kenya to Begin Mission.

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Iza Kenya

Kenya warmly welcomes Iza from Poland, who arrived on 6th May to begin her mission here in Kenya. Her arrival is a significant moment, and she was greeted with enthusiasm by a group of Comboni Lay Missionary Kenya who went to the airport to welcome her. The atmosphere was filled with anticipation and heartfelt greetings.

As Iza stepped out, she was met with smiles and warm embraces. We are incredibly excited to have Iza with us. We look forward to supporting her in her mission. Iza expressed her gratitude, stating, ‘I’m so grateful to be here and eager to start working with the community.

CLM Kenya