Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Togo-Ghana-Benin

2026 Youth leaders training session at holy family of Nazareth parish – Klikamé-Dangbessito Lome from 10-15th August

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Togo

Theme: “Young People, Talents for Mary”

About fifty young people, six days of training, talents discovered, and a meaningful experience of faith, sharing, and learning!

From August 10 to 15, 2026, Holy Family of Nazareth Parish in Klikamé-Dangbessito hosted the 2026 Youth Leaders Training Session, organized by the Comboni Lay Missionary Candidates of Togo (CLM) in collaboration with the Legion of Mary.

The initiative brought together about fifty young people for a program designed to support their human and spiritual development while enabling them to discover, develop, and make the most of their talents.

The session was centered on Mary, who was presented on the first day as the “Star of Youth” by Father Aubin-Ephrem Biney, parish priest.

Through the life and virtues of Mary, the young participants were encouraged to cultivate humility, patience, resilience, compassion, prayer, and a spirit of service—values that are essential for becoming responsible leaders.

Topics Addressing the Challenges Facing Young People

Throughout the session, several important topics were addressed.

Personal and Environmental Hygiene, presented by Jean-Baptiste Gnimassoun, LMC, helped raise awareness among the young participants about the importance of personal hygiene, cleanliness, and environmental protection.

21st-Century Skills, presented by Ernest Botri, LMC, helped participants discover the importance of creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and other skills needed to succeed in today’s world.

Human and Spiritual Formation

Young People, social media and Artificial Intelligence, presented by Sister Elizabeth Corte Imperial, Comboni Missionary Sister, provided an opportunity to reflect on the responsible use of digital technologies.

The session also addressed human sexuality, its different dimensions, and the risks associated with irresponsible sexual behavior, with the aim of promoting responsibility and respect for oneself and others.

A Screening of the Film “Bernadette Soubirous”

The third day featured a special cultural and spiritual activity: the screening of a film about Bernadette Soubirous.

Through the story of this young girl and her experience of faith, the participants were invited to reflect on values such as faith, perseverance, humility, and fidelity to one’s convictions.

The screening complemented the spiritual teachings of the session and provided an opportunity for reflection and sharing among the young participants.

Turning Talents into Skills

An important part of the session was devoted to practical workshops, allowing the young people to learn by doing and develop concrete skills.

Knitting: making beanies and scrunchies; Beadwork: making necklaces, bracelets, and key rings.

Shoemaking: learning about different models and patterns and making “Prince,” “Princess,” and crossed-shoe models. Cooking: preparing peanut snacks, cakes, finger foods, decorating a wedding cake, and making liquid soap.

These workshops encouraged creativity, patience, precision, self-reliance, initiative, and teamwork.

A Closing Celebration of Young People’s Talents

The session concluded with a Closing Mass, followed by an exhibition and sale of products made by the young participants.

The exhibition gave participants an opportunity to showcase their creations and demonstrate how a talent can be discovered, developed, and transformed into a useful skill.

Through this session, the organizers sought to remind everyone that young people are not only the future: they are a vital force in the present, capable of actively contributing to the transformation of society.

“Young People, Talents for Mary”: Discover, develop, value, and serve!

Ernest A. S. Botri

Jonas: mirror of our escapes

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LMC Gana

As planned in the programme of the year, we gathered in Ghana to have the Advent recollection. But, from a day in the Action Plan, we spread our gathering to cover three days for three main reasons. First, to have our recollection on the 13th December. Second, in order to be at Mafi-Kumase early for the recollection, we needed to be there on the 12th. And thirdly, to do vocation promotion at the parish where we met for the recollection.

In the evening of Friday, 12th December, Daniel, Christian, Elisabeth and Justin gathered at Good Shepherd Catholic Church of Mafi-Kumase and entered in the mood of recollection. We were joined later by Valentine. On Saturday, the 13th after the Holy Mass and breakfast, we had our first talk which was given to each one to read individually and reflect upon. It was a topic prepared by Fr. Manuel Joao Pereira Correia, mccj, which our chaplain gave to us to reflect upon. The title was Jonas: Mirror of our escapes. It was so meditative and Fr. Joao always left a question at the end of each subtopic to lead us in our meditation. An inspiring part of the topic was where father Joao quoted a theologian who said that the Lord is «The God of thousand surprises». He continued saying that ‘He even goes before us on the paths that lead us away from Him, in order to set a ‘trap’ for us so that we fall into his arms’. Indeed, that was what happened to Jonas when he was fleeing from the service that God entrusted to him.

In the afternoon, we had the second talk entitled ‘Inspired by Christian hope, let us live out our prophetic calling’ which our chaplain, Father Ephrem, mccj, shared with us. ‘One who hopes, he said, lives different life’. And our hope, he said, quoting a pope, is rooted in Jesus and Jesus is our hope. The prophet, according to father Ephrem, has three functions: talk in the name of God, denounce (the wrong doings) and suggest (new ways).

After the second talk, we had the celebration of the Sacrament of Conversion followed by the prayer of the Holy Rosary. In the night of that Saturday, we started a discussion on the Questionnaires that the African Committee sent to the various groups in Africa.

On Sunday, during mass, we were invited to share our vocation reality with the parishioners. Few got closer to us at the end showing interest to join us.

After lunch, we had a handing over ceremony. Justin who has been playing double role as National Coordinator of Ghana and Provincial Coordinator (Togo-Ghana-Benin) passed the service of the National Coordinator to Christian. Other members present were invited to pray upon the new National Coordinator. The Chaplain also prayed upon him and blessed him for the service the group and God have entrusted to him.

After this ceremony, we participated in the Zoom Meeting that gathered all the CLM worldwide to celebrate The International CLM Day before departing from Mafi-Kumase.

Justin Nougnui, CLM.

10th October, feast of Saint Daniel Comboni

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Benin
Benin

The Comboni Missionaries in Benin celebrated together the feast of their Founder Saint Daniel COMBONI at the Novitiate of Cocotomey on Friday, October 10, 2025. The festivities were enhanced by the presence of Reverend Father Provincial HOUNAKE Timothée. The celebration of the feast began with a time of adoration followed by the rite of introduction of the twenty-one (21) new Novices to the Novitiate. At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Father Provincial, he exhorted the novices to learn the knowledge of God. The novices must be able to say at the end of their Novitiate: “God exists, I have met him.”

The Reverend Father Provincial gave the novices the four essential points that they must cultivate during this time of Novitiate to become true disciples of the mission. The Father Provincial insisted on dialogue with their Father Master; the reading of the Holy Scriptures; adoration and availability to the mission. Father Provincial HOUNAKE Timothée welcomed the presence of the LMC candidates at the feast of Saint Comboni

Benin

At the end of the celebrations, a fraternal agape was offered by the Novitiate leaders. We had a meeting with the assessor of the lay group in Cotonou, Reverend Father Constantin, who promised to begin a series of training sessions for LMC Aspirants before the end of this month of Comboni. The atmosphere was festive and joy was evident on the faces of all the participants in the celebration. May through the intercession of Saint Daniel COMBONI, the good news spread in Africa and throughout the world. Amen

Benin

Lucien Aboe

A provincial opportunity

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LMC TGB

For the first time, representatives from the three countries of Togo Ghana Benin Province met in Adidogome, Lomé on July 5, 2025.

The three countries of the province were represented to participate in the funeral mass of our colleague BOTRI Ernest’s mother. This Saturday, after the funeral mass, we held a meeting at the Comboni Sisters’ house in Lomé. The meeting was led by the Provincial Coordinator Justin together with Reverend Father Badou Ephrem, Chaplain of the CLM in the province.

The meeting began with a prayer before the roundtable for the introduction of the participants at the meeting. The atmosphere was very friendly and warm. We finally met face to face after being in telephone contact for months.

The Provincial Coordinator conveyed useful information from the Province, and the Chaplain emphasized the necessity of training and participation in training sessions.

The meeting ended with the blessing from our Chaplain. Each of us took the road back home, and through the intercession of Saint Daniel Comboni, we had safe travels.

Lucien Aboe

Tribute by the Comboni Lay Missionaries for Our Brother Benjamin

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LMC Ghana

A great tree has fallen

On that faithful Sunday 27th day of October 2024, was a heavy slap on the face of Comboni Lay Missionaries CLM, Togo-Ghana-Benin Province, the Catholic communities of both Bakpa Avedo, and as well as Sogakorpe. A coordinating team member Mr. Benjamin Kwame Amekor was granted an exit to join and continue his services, an everlasting rest in his final home of destination with his maker.

He is a native of Bakpa Avedo in Volta Region, Ghana. He was a teacher by profession, and a community leader. The first head Christian, a founding member of the Sacred Heart Parish Church of Bakpa Avedo.

Brother Ben is a father and friend of all, including the CLM members in Ghana. It is obvious, nothing is most beautiful than to serve the Lord through to the end of one’s life especially as a Lay Missionary in this world.

Being the Secretary, he renders his services with joy and obedience to the call of the group. What a loss of dedicated in service, display of knowledge and wisdom, above all active in almost every activity in life of the group, be it pastoral experiences. A man who makes sure he is counted among the members of the group is no more.

He ended his vocation as a Comboni Lay Missionary which he cherished a lot. Jokes were flowing from him as a sign of shared wisdom with other members of the group. Such as laughing in the different languages, another is ‘if till now you do not know what Jesus Christ had done for you then that is your own problem’ are still fresh in our memories. Why should such a lovely person could not have stayed longer and shared with us in order to influence our growth in faith? Only God knows.

Who knows, this could be a divine call for a better life in the Kingdom of God, a service which is everlasting. We may say this is surely a wakeup call to all members of the CLM family to work hard and get ready for such a divine home everlasting call.

Our brother Benjamin, may you be united to the Saints, especially St. Daniel Comboni our founder and with him, please, intercede for us. Amen.

Christian Wotormenyo, CLM.