One day, leaving the monastery, St. Francis met Brother Ginepro: “Brother Ginepro,” he said, “come, let us go and preach.” Brother Ginepro agreed. They walked around the city, praying silently for those who worked in shops and gardens. They smiled at the children, especially the poorest ones. They exchanged a few words with the elderly. They caressed the sick. They helped those in need.
After crossing the city several times, “Friar Ginepro,” said Francis, “it’s time to return to the monastery.” “What about our sermon?” “We’ve done it… we’ve done it!” replied the saint with a smile. “You are the best sermon!” This anecdote helps us remember Massimo, a dear friend and brother of the CLM group in Verona, who suddenly passed away on July 16. He had made practicality and attentive presence a way of life. Welcoming everyone, faith, and love for the mission were, in fact, his characteristics. In short, he was a “wise man” who gradually revealed himself in being together and in doing, and who leaves a huge void in anyone who shared life paths with him. His practical approach had already seen him involved in the Gim work camps in Friuli in 1976 and 1977, which had been hit by a terrible earthquake, and in his years of service as a scout leader, living with them an intense missionary experience in Tanzania. He was involved in the parish, in diocesan family ministry, in programs for newly married couples, devoting himself to the preparation and conduct of seminars and meetings around Italy, as well as in work and sports groups.
And then in the Comboni family and with our group of Comboni Lay Missionaries. The same practicality led him to be enthusiastic, in recent years, about the departure of some young people from our group in which, with his beloved Rita, he could give concrete expression to their passion for the mission, always present in the various activities. “Know that we are leaving with you and will always be present in your communities and for any need,” he told them, speaking on behalf of the group that accompanied them with their thoughts and prayers towards the mission. Thus, Ilaria and Federica were sent to Mozambique, and with the same spirit, he accompanied Giulia in her preparation, who recently left for Kenya.
Massimo’s life unfolded as a true Comboni lay person, not only through the mission trips he made with Rita, immersing himself in a rich and fragile humanity, but also in living the missionary spirit in everyday life, as service in those experiences that were close to his and Rita’s hearts, and where the concrete witness of their faith was firm and profound: “There, in the place where the Lord asks us to be, because we are all called to be missionaries,” he said. And like the “light of dead stars that illuminates the night,” the light of Massimo’s life reaches us through the words of those who knew him, those who enjoyed his ability to listen, his constructive criticism, his witness of Love with a capital L lived with his Rita, the value and respect he gave to everyone, and the feeling that he made us feel “welcome.” Together with St. Daniel Comboni, Massimo will help us to walk and to see, however and wherever, the face of that good Father God whom he sought, prayed to, loved, and chose so much. Massimo, we will always carry you with us.
At the Generating Hope for Climate Justice conference, promoted by the Vatican to mark the 10th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that “there is no room for indifference or resignation,” and among many warnings, he spoke of the need for “Everyone in society, through non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups, must pressure governments to develop and implement stricter regulations, procedures, and controls. Citizens need to take an active role in political decision-making at the national, regional, and local levels.”
This call from the Pope is directly linked to the reflection made in this year’s Cry of the Excluded, a demonstration that takes place in Brazil every September 7, as we can read in the sharing made by the Italian CLM, Emma Chiolini, below:
The demonstration has had a profound meaning since its creation in 1995, highlighting existing inequalities in various areas, such as lack of access to health care, education, housing, decent work, and security, which will still not be guaranteed to everyone in 2025. This year’s event also has the motto “Caring for our common home and democracy is a daily struggle!”, reflecting the connection with the climate and social crises and the defense of democracy at a time of internal and external threats. In addition, this year in particular, there was solidarity with the Palestinian people and the genocide they are suffering in an unprecedented, politically, socially, and humanly unjust war. More than a protest, the Cry of the Excluded represents popular resistance, articulating the defense of human rights, national sovereignty, and democracy. The demonstration is, therefore, a call for solidarity and citizen participation, reaffirming that the struggle for social justice must be constant so that Brazil and the world can move toward a more just, democratic, and sustainable society.
In 2025, the movement strengthens these demands by promoting a Popular Plebiscite, whose objective is to include the population in decisions on issues such as the reduction of working hours, the end of the 6×1 shift, and the taxation of the super-rich. Everyone’s participation is important; it is democracy, it is equality, it is recognition. We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of those who are crushed daily by this society. We cannot remain indifferent to inequality. We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of oppressed peoples and the arrogance of the strongest. Therefore, the cry of the Excluded must not be silenced, nor must the denunciation of those who wish to silence it be silenced. I believe in a path that is built together, that starts from below, from the people, from a critical consciousness that allows us to see that the struggle must be constant and continuous. Bertolt Brecht said that when injustice becomes law, resistance becomes a duty. In a globalized world, we can no longer say that we do not know. Pepe Mujica left us a quote that serves as an example for our daily lives: “Politics is a struggle for the happiness of all.” In a world where humanity seems to be disappearing, let us make a difference again: let us be human again!
After a long time, we are finally able to write and give you news about this important and delicate humanitarian aid project, which we are developing and carrying out with all our heart and strength.
We are involved in many projects and activities, and we are trying to do our best for the good of these people. We left you with news of an initial emergency intervention supported by our missionary team (lay people together with the Comboni Fathers) working in the parish of Carapira.
If you remember, on the day of the cyclone, we gathered together and opened the doors of the church and other buildings to welcome the displaced people affected and, as a first response, provide them with food and shelter for the night. A few days after the disaster, the district of Monapo, which had intervened with some associations to support these families, asked us for help in reaching as many people as possible. Of course, we did not back down and we supported everything until the situation became a little complicated, because some people were not receiving aid. After various interventions together with them, we perceived and intuited that the support that needed to be given had to take a different form, so we asked ourselves what would be the most appropriate way to help and how. Because let’s face it, we are all capable of giving things and we can all call ourselves missionaries, but the right question is: how can I help them to really give support? So that they can continue to have a dignified life? So that they do not remain in a situation of dependence, but can build their lives from this experience! From this profound question, all our reasoning as a missionary team began, putting all the risks and possibilities on the table. The Lord is great!
From these reflections and seeing the general situation a little more broadly, we started immediately, conducting a general census of our parish, that is, of all 98 communities that comprise it, together with all our regional representatives and the people who work with us in the various ministries, involving every elder of the community and the communities themselves. We assure you that even this first step was not easy, because communicating with everyone in a place where most people do not have a telephone, plus the great distances that separate us from some regions and not having means of transportation, took time. Then Cyclone Jude destroyed some bridges, so it was also difficult for us to reach certain areas by car. (There are some areas that are still inaccessible.) This is to give you an idea of how basic life is and how long it takes to get things done. Starting from this initial census, there were many questions: Who do we help? How many communities? What criteria do we use to choose? How? And if someone comes to us for help, what do we do? But here too, Providence was immense, and all this could only open our eyes even wider, and we were truly amazed at how much good and concrete help came from you! From these initial questions, which on the one hand weighed heavily on us, trying to help/make a difference without excluding anyone, in truth, little by little, all the pieces fell into place. Obviously, we always intervened immediately with food and first aid/help whenever they came knocking on our door. But let’s get to the beauty that was achieved thanks to each one of you.
As mentioned earlier, given the long distances that the regional representatives had to travel, we started by buying five bicycles, one for each regional representative, and delivered them to each of them at the parish council. It was impossible to give a bicycle to all the participants in the various ministries of the parish because there are so many of them, but at least it was a first step for the regional leaders who are always running around their region and their beloved communities, thus helping them to reduce the time it takes to reach the various communities in their region. We started with these five regional leaders to conduct an internal census in each of their communities together with each elder and each area leader responsible for their own area. In the end, your generosity allowed us to help build a house in each community, for a total of 98 houses, for the poorest and most needy families that they themselves identified… The house will not be made of brick, because the costs are exorbitant and we will never be able to intervene with everyone and on a large scale, but here too we have considered supporting the construction of a house with a wooden pole structure and the side structure will be made with blocks of mud mixed with cement, which means a stronger and more durable house… Then the roof will be built with bamboo and a large, strong, resistant tarpaulin that insulates to keep water out, all donated thanks to your great support… Each community will commit to the construction itself by providing manual labor, commitment, and enthusiasm.
We have also intervened to support the construction of almost 30 brick chapels for the moment… they are already working to try to complete the work before the rainy season arrives and, above all, before more cyclones hit. The chapels will be built in brick because, in the future, with more cyclones, they can be used as shelters for displaced people.
You really cannot imagine their happiness, the little hope you have kindled in their hearts despite the many difficulties they face every day… Just think that Carapira is called ‘little Italy’ by the people: they have great esteem for us Italians because, apart from the help they have received, they have always found Italian missionaries who have loved them dearly!
But that’s not all… in addition to helping with houses, chapels, etc., we have bought blankets, mosquito nets, soap, etc., so that we can distribute them to other families and thus reach more people in need.
Some of the missionary team, in particular Wiston and Maria Augusta, with great joy and passion, are also taking a course in natural medicine and are going to various regions to teach basic first aid, since they cannot afford to buy medicines, nor can they find them, and also because after the cyclone the health situation has become much more complicated (simple malaria kills many people every day). Now, little by little, we are building a small nursery for natural medicine plants, and in time we would like to give them these small plants or at least be able to support them a little in medicine… other future ideas: working on the seeds to give them, etc.
So there is no shortage of work, and despite the many hardships we experience every day and share with them, we are not lacking in joy. On the contrary, we give thanks and pray that the Lord will always keep us healthy and build a path for us to remain in the future.
We are grateful to life for this journey, for your continued trust in us, and we do not have enough words to thank you personally. We know the importance of transparency and its value, and every day we fight for a better world and for dignity, especially for the poorest and most distant.
Thank you for believing in us and continuing to walk with us, never leaving us alone, but rather making us feel like family and co-responsible. Knowing how to choose every day and live true values is important for the good of all. Therefore, we feel very responsible for what we receive and towards all of you, and we apologize again if we are unable to respond immediately because so many of you write to us and we are busy on a thousand fronts, but, in our own time, we will get there.
We also have some big news that we want to share. For the brave and not so brave who would like to come and see and touch with their own hands what we do, we invite you to spend some time with us. What we can offer you is certainly a lot of fun, the joy of welcoming you, and a great opportunity for us to open our hearts and learn about the mission that belongs to everyone… and what you will experience firsthand is true humanity and a people who will welcome and love you. What will you take home with you?
Real life and humanity lived… but we will leave that for you to discover… and for those who are ‘afraid’ of malaria, don’t worry, a little prevention during your stay and you won’t notice a thing. We are waiting for you to come and live this life with us because we are all missionaries! This mission will certainly be a mission among the people… but we will leave it to you to discover its beauty!
With great affection, esteem, and gratitude, we send you a big hug; for those we are unable to hug in Italy, we look forward to seeing you in Mozambique for an experience you will remember for a lifetime!
The Comboni Lay Missionary community in Kenya recently welcomed Giulia, a missionary from Italy, who arrived on June 23rd to begin her journey in Kenya. A group of enthusiastic Comboni Lay Missionaries gathered at the airport to greet her, filled with anticipation and heartfelt greetings.
Our Kenya community is growing, and we’re happy to receive new members like Giulia. Together, we’ll work towards creating a more just and compassionate society, inspired by the Comboni charism.
We extend a warm welcome to Giulia as she embarks on this new chapter in Kenya. We’re confident that her dedication and compassion will shine brightly as she serves alongside us.
We leave you a video that we have received from Kenya telling us about the project that the CLM community of Kitelakapel-Kenya is doing on Mental Health issues in collaboration with Hani (CLM of Egypt).
In it you will be able to hear first hand how it is being developed and the continuity they want to give. It is a nice example of collaboration with the presence of Hani and then the second time with the arrival of Mira (candidate from Egypt) and where financial support has been received from Spain.
Thank you all for your prayers and support to our CLM service in the places where we are present.
Este sitio web utiliza cookies para mejorar su experiencia. Si continúa navegando consideramos que acepta el uso de cookies, pero puede optar por lo contrario si lo desea.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to browse we consider you accept the use of cookies, but you can opt-out if you wish. Acepto Puede obtener más información - You may have more information here
Politica y privacidad de Cookies - Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
