Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Mexico

Posadas: a tradition in Mexico

by
Posadas Mexico

In my experience as a Mexican, there are many traditions in this country, some of which date back a long time and have been passed down from generation to generation, such as the posadas. Beyond just attending for the sweets that are given to us at the end of each one, we remember the journey that Joseph and Mary had to take to find a place for Jesus to be born. Since they couldn’t find a posada, as they were called back then (nowadays it would be like a hotel room), all they could offer them was a stable, which they accepted with great love.

This tradition of posadas is organized and sung in different parts of the country, each place with its own customs, but with that special touch of what is really being commemorated and what it means.

In my family, we organize it this way: nine of the members take one posada per day, and it is their turn to give aguinaldos or some snacks such as a hot drink, better known as ponche, if they can afford it, since it is cold and this is one of the signs that reminds us that Christmas is coming. The rosary is prayed at the end of each mystery, and verses are sung while walking with the pilgrims.

Example:

  • Walk joyfully, dear angels of heaven, covering the roads.
  • The white snow that has worn away the lilies turns them snowy white.
  • Through those mountains goes the omnipotence, and the leopards also bow down to him.
  • Through those mountains walks Mary with her beloved husband, night and day.
  • Etc.

After several verses, they arrive at a house to ask for lodging. This is done three times during the rosary until it is finished. After making the three requests, they sing the entrance of the pilgrims into the house where they will stay that day, which is the family’s turn to provide lodging. The next day, they begin to go to the next house, and so on for nine days.

Even though we are in the same country, each state, diocese, parish, neighborhood, and family has a different way of organizing and carrying out this tradition, and the same applies to the songs, the melody, and the rhythm.

Here in Metlatonoc, where I am on mission, they are organized very differently, according to their customs. It has been a very pleasant experience because I have learned a lot from the people by observing them. The organizers of the posadas here are the stewards. Only they move the images, decide which children will carry them, and ring the bell while the images are being moved. Something curious that I noticed here is that they have the pilgrims dressed like them, in traditional regional clothing.

The singer recites part of the rosary before leaving with the pilgrims. When the litany begins, it is time to start walking. He sings in Latin and responds to himself. When he arrives at the house where he will ask for lodging, he stops singing the litany. The Guadalupana and Juquila groups read the readings and sing the petition, both the verses from outside and inside, dividing themselves to do so. In these posadas, they bring a band, give whistles to everyone, make a lot of noise, and set off fireworks. When they arrive at the house where the pilgrims will stay, it is recognizable because it is very decorated and has the portal they prepared.

The singer finishes praying the rosary there, the groups mentioned above gather and sing some Christmas carols, and then the whole parish community continues to socialize. It is customary to serve pozole and coffee, the band plays, and people are encouraged to dance. Everything ends around 11 or 12 at night. There are three groups of singers: two from Guadalupe and one from Juquila. They divide up the days on which they will sing and participate.

It has been a different experience to celebrate these holidays away from my family. As my brothers told me, now you will spend time with other people, and when you come home for vacation, it will be time to spend time with us. What keeps me going is the prayer and encouragement that my whole family, friends, and acquaintances give me. I am trying to take care of God’s things because I know that He is taking care of mine, which are mainly here on earth, me and my family.

Mariana, CLM in Metlatonoc (Mexico).

CLM in the Metlatonoc mission

by
LMC Mexico

We began this mission in Metlatónoc Guerrero on July 1, 2025, Mariana Meléndez and Leticia Orduñez, Lay Comboni Missionaries (CLM). We started from scratch, as the house where we would live was unfurnished and needed some plumbing work. We lived in the parish house until the 17th of the same month, when we moved into our new home, which was still undergoing repairs but was already livable. It is well located. From the roof, you can see the different neighborhoods, the mountains, and a beautiful landscape where you can appreciate the natural freshness of the place. The second floor has four rooms, one of which has been converted into a kitchen, and the others are bedrooms, so we can receive missionary visitors. Going down the stairs to the first floor on the left side, there is a large room that we plan to use for human growth meetings for people who are interested in learning crafts, tutoring, or whatever people have asked us for, such as praying the rosary.

The Parish of St. Michael the Archangel, where Father Miguel Navarrete, MCCJ, is the pastor and Father Wojcech, MCCJ, is the vicar, has 39 communities. They are served by the notary’s office, which is open early in the morning. People from all the communities come there to request Mass, describing the needs of their families or requesting a sacrament. The local officials also invite the priest to celebrate Mass at their community’s festival. Little by little, we are making ourselves known at Masses, gatherings, and celebrations to which we have been invited. Father Miguel introduces us as missionaries who will be spending some time in Metlatónoc supporting the Church’s pastoral ministry.

Catechesis is the door that has been opened for us to serve. We have begun in the parish area and in a community called Yuvinani. We have a group to train pastoral agents, with whom we meet twice a week for six months with a program proposed by the parish. Mr. Billano, Cristina, Elvia, Florina, Marcelina, and Adelma participate in this program; they are people who have made themselves available to help in the church. There are two groups receiving the sacraments: one is made up of 33 children and young people aged 9 to 24 who are preparing to receive their first communion, and the other is made up of seven teenagers aged 13 to 16 who are preparing for their confirmation. We are learning basic prayers and the commandments, and we share with them topics such as creation, the prophets, and the life of Jesus. We use videos to facilitate their understanding, giving examples from their community experiences and teaching them to differentiate between good and evil. The challenge we have encountered is language. Not everyone speaks Spanish, and we do not know Mixtec, so I am always checking with Mr. Billano, who helps me translate.

During these vacations, we had the opportunity to participate in the intensive catechesis and school support course organized by the parish priest, where we joined the service team and collaborated with Cesar, Consuelo, and Sonia, young people who are on vacation because they are studying abroad. Cesar taught mathematics and English in the school support program, while we women were involved in catechesis. There was good participation, even though it was raining, the children did not stop attending. They arrived at 3:30 p.m., we started with integration games, then the topic, and at 5:00 p.m. we participated in Mass. After that, we just gave instructions, they gathered their things to finish at 6:00 p.m. and leave early for home.

Due to the rains at this time of year, it is not possible to travel to the more distant communities because the roads are dirt roads, there are landslides, the hills are crumbling, and rocks of all sizes can fall, blocking the roads. It is also dangerous because accidents can happen and vehicles can fall into the ravine. The recommendation is that we visit these communities during the dry season. We already know some of them from visits we have made during Holy Week or Christmas.

We participated in the Diocesan Assembly in Tlapa, representing the parish with Fr. Miguel, Cesar, Gabriel, Adelaida, Leticia, and myself. We met for a week and discussed topics that helped us gain a general overview of the indigenous communities. We realized that there are different indigenous groups in the diocese, as they speak Tlapaneco, Nahual, and Mixtec, and there may be other language variants. Work teams were formed according to the area of service. Fr. Miguel and Gabriel were in the catechesis area coordinated by Fr. Nacho; Leticia and Cesar worked in the mission area coordinated by Fr. Damián; Adelaida and I were in the education area coordinated by Fr. Juan. It was something new for me, but it involved a lot of learning and commitment. The work was intensive and very helpful for us who are just arriving. Little by little, we are doing our part to walk in our Church where all the baptized can contribute something. I am grateful to those who keep me in their prayers, which give me the strength to continue even though I am far from my family. Thank you for your financial support, which makes it easier to continue maintaining the community. I would like to share with you that here the basic food basket is more expensive than in my community because it is not sold by the kilo but by the piece, and fruit and vegetables are really expensive. You can also join this project so that there are more of us in this CLM mission that we are starting on a permanent basis.

It has been a very beautiful experience to be sharing with the Mixtec people: the catechism course, school graduations at different levels, baptisms, quinceañeras, parish activities, and sharing with people in the traditions and customs they have here, as well as in celebrations in other communities. Everything has been very enriching for me as a person, but without forgetting who I am and where I come from.

Mariana Melendez Candido, CLM Mexico.

Mission with the CLM of Mexico in Metlatonoc

by
LMC Mexico

Missionary experience in Holy Week in Mexico (Tlapa – Metlatónoc), an indigenous people with customs, traditions, with another language (the Misteco), with its doctrine of Catholic Faith, with different rites but with the same God and His praise and glory for our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Mission with great blessing for us and the people of Metlatonoc. Living and sharing with children, teenagers, adults and seniors, seeing the smile, the joy, the happiness in every face of our brothers and sisters. I realize that bringing the Word, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, came to life in the different religious activities carried out: the Procession of the encounter, the Institution of the Eucharist live, with its customs, the surrender of Jesus and the crucifixion of Christ.

Living together in the different communities with all the members, from the children to the adults, was very beautiful; where we evangelized and enjoyed different dynamics, we sang and danced, we colored, we played and danced, we sang with the adults.

This missionary experience is an opportunity to get involved in the lives of others, share the gospel and serve those in need. It is an experience of solidarity where relationships are forged, we collaborate in community solutions and live in an intercultural community, seeking personal transformation and evangelization.

It involves helping, collaborating in solutions and being present in the daily life of the community where the mission takes place. It focuses on announcing the Good News, sharing the faith and making disciples of Jesus through the Word and testimony. The mission is lived in community, sharing the experience and learning together, both from others and from the situation being lived. It can represent a before and an after in the life of the missionary, strengthening faith and generating a positive change.

And I lived it in this way, especially in each activity throughout that week: from the first prayer in the morning, the going out to the houses, the sharing in the meetings with the children, celebrating the Eucharist, until the end of sharing in the evening with my brothers and sisters, no longer so unknown, companions of the community, I began to embrace this “Mission”.

That is where the mission began. That is when I began to try to look a little with the eyes of Christ: every entrance to a house was a reason for joy and gratitude, which I was allowed to feel by listening, by talking, by smiles, by tears of the most precious treasure of Jesus, which is the heart of each one of those faces we met. The meetings with the children were the engine of each day, a moment to forget the worries, the structures, the “big things” to enter into that simple and tender world of playing and laughing regardless of time or place, simply to become like children.

Karol Chacón, CLM Candidate, Costa Rica

Mission Camp 2025 Jubilee of Hope Metlatonoc, gro. Mexico

by
LMC Mexico

An experience with hope in common of the CLM that participated in the Holy Week Mission Camp in the Parish of St. Michael the Archangel, to discover how the people of the neighborhoods where we participated would receive us since it was the first time that they would have CLM in the neighborhoods of the parish. In our thoughts it was something complicated but the reality changed our vision since being there the experience was bearable, fruitful and of much teaching for all. We shared our faith from our experience even with the difficulty and limitation of not knowing the language or customs; they opened their hearts to us, with their attention and participation; they also expressed their gratitude to each one of us at different times.

The obstacles we encountered were diverse, the main one was the language, some of us got sick, the material we carried, not knowing the customs and culture. Fortunately there is something that unites us, the Faith we have in Jesus Christ lived in this Holy Week 2025 Jubilee year in which we were able to share with people in a friendly relationship, topics in the colonies, processions, prayer and Eucharist always with something characteristic of each day of the Holy Week.

That is why as CLM we believe that we must take into account: to know how to listen, to know without judging, to let ourselves be taught by the people who receive us, to enrich our values, to highlight the richness that we discover, to be open to the changes that may arise, to work obedience and respect for the leaders we meet, to forget about what may distract you and to live the MISSION, above all without leaving behind the Comboni Ideal, evangelizing the poorest and most abandoned, loving our Cross without being discouraged by the circumstances you may encounter, problems or adversities, always remembering Whom we serve and for Whom we are here, doing everything with Love to give Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

CLM Mission Team in the Parish

Tadeo, Felisa, Mariana, Beatriz CLM from Mexico and Carol CLM from Costa Rica.