Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Poland

Greetings from Africa!!!

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Finally our dreams have come true. We are in Africa again. We’ve lived at the Provincial House in Kampala since Saturday. We’ll spend here about 2 weeks. Our time is filled mostly by visiting different places and meeting new people. Little by little we enter in the atmosphere and culture of Uganda. Everything is new, everything delights us, there are so many things to see, to get to know that sometimes it is impossible to remember everything, especially names. But slowly, slowly we’re learning everything.

We’re very happy that we can be here. At every step we feel like at home. People always surprise us with their openness, hospitality, help and kindness.

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In the first week we were able to visit several communities and see some of the projects implemented by the Comboni not only in Kampala. And we also met the CLM who live and work in Kampala. They have their own house where their meetings are held and in which some of them also live. Some have their own families, so they live in another place, but every day they come to the CLM house. At the beginning they told us about themselves, about the CLM in Uganda, in which places they work, what they do and how is their formation. Immediately we felt like at home, we feel that we are one community, which has the same goal and the same motivation. Thanks to them, we also have the opportunity to learn about the life and culture in Uganda because they offered us a series of meetings on various topics. Thanks to this we get to know the atmosphere in Kampala, in Uganda.

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We are also waiting for brother Elio, who returns from holiday and with him we’ll go to Gulu, the place where we spend the next two years. We cannot wait to see our mission…, but we have to be patient. At the moment we are trying to take advantage of the time we spend in Kampala. We are getting to know the fathers, but also the Comboni sisters who live here. Of course, everyone knows Gulu, so from them also we receive information about our new home – St. Jude orphanage. We got to know the history, but also the most important problems which we’ll meet for sure. Such meetings are very fruitful, because each person gives their advices; thanks to this we are getting more knowledgeable about St. Jude, but also a variety of initiatives in which we can get involved.

Greetings and big hugs for all the CLM

Asia and Ewa

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

Greetings from London

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LondonWe’d like to share our community life in London with you. Our first impression is very positive. The community is much opened and fathers are very helpful and polite. Of course, for them it’s a little strange situation having four young girls living with them. But they got used to live with us and us with them.

The most important thing is learning English in the Stanton School of English, but not only. It’s time for our community, so we learn how to live together and we learn from each other. Naturally we have our own timetable which includes our activities, e.g. meetings about Uganda, meetings about thing which are important and interesting for us. We also have meetings with the fathers about the Lent and different theological issues… We also try to have a community day. This is time for us, for common prayer, for adoration and for relax 🙂

The 15th of March we celebrated the birthday of St. Daniel Comboni. It was a big feast for our family, for fathers, sisters and lay people who live in London. Great day!!! We could feel like one big family. And Comboni sisters invited us for dinner. So last Sunday we could meet all sisters who live in London. Their community consists of 14 sisters, so it is really big. They shared their mission experiences with us and gave us many useful guidelines.

We are here just 3 weeks so we can’t say more. It’s a short general sharing to inform you that everything goes well. Although it’s a busy time, we are very glad that we are here.

Greetings and hugs from our community

I’m sending you…

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Among the many celebrations and important events that have recently experienced the Comboni Family, was also the official sending of father Maciej Zielinski, who finally is going in mission. He was responsible for the Comboni Lay Missionaries in Poland. Last Sunday Bishop Jan Piotrowski officially sent him and gave him his pastoral blessing for the time of missionary work. Father Maciej from January 1 officially belongs to the Province of Kenya, where he will spend the next few years, working and helping those who need it most.

The celebration of sending took place in his parish- in Tarnów, where family, friends, Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries attained.

“If someone knows Christ cannot keep it for him or her, but must proclaim Him” – emphasized Bishop Piotrowski. Therefore, Maciek decided that he wants to share his experience of God with those who have not met Him yet, those who have not reached the Gospel yet.

Father Maciej was responsible for the animation of vocations and work with youth for the past few years in Poland. Looking at the number of young people involved in help for the missions, you can freely say that this stay was very fruitful. And although Father Maciej understood young people and you can see that was finding in this work, he still missed Africa, to work on the Black Continent. Now, finally, it fills. And although we are a little sad, we are happy with him.

Each of us owes much to Maciek. As Comboni Lay Missionaries Movement we want to thank you for the time and commitment to our Movement in Poland. For father Maciek kindled enthusiasm and love for the mission. We thank you for every smile, good word, because you were for us like a “father”. We could always come, talk and get a help and solution.

“If a missionary feels alone in the mission, it means that we are not a community, we are not the Church”- said during the homily Bishop Piotrowski. Prayer is very important in missionary work, because it makes you feel the unity of the whole Church and gives the feeling that we are a true community of believers. This call to pray for Fr Maciek, but also for the whole missionary work of the Church, let us will collapse deep in our hearts, and this request will not remain unanswered.

Polish CLM group