Togo-Ghana-Benin – Comboni Lay Missionaries

10th October, feast of Saint Daniel Comboni

16 October, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

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

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

Lucien Aboe

A provincial opportunity

15 July, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

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

18 February, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

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.

Missionary outing of the CLM aspirants to saint joseph parish in Assahun-Fiagbé

9 January, 2025 by Alberto de la Portilla

As part of the activity program for the 2024-2025 pastoral year, the CLM aspirants organized a missionary outing to Saint Joseph Parish in Assahun-Fiagbé from January 4 to 5, 2025. The activities carried out during this mission included a talk-debate, a film screening, home visits, and the distribution of gifts to children. These actions were carried out in collaboration with the Avenir Positif association, created in 2012 by collaborators of the Comboni Missionary Sisters, aimed at promoting the well-being of children and youth.

Saturday, January 4, 2025: Start of Activities

An initial delegation composed of Jean-Baptiste GNIMASSOUN, Ernest BOTRI, Marie-Claire AWUNO, and Sister Elizabeth CORTE IMPERIAL (SMC) arrived in the village on the afternoon of Saturday, January 4, 2025. After a courtesy visit to the Parish Priest at the rectory, the team went to the parish to begin the first activities of the program.

The day began with a talk-debate on the theme: The Commitment of Young Christians in Their Parish, led by Ernest BOTRI. This discussion encouraged young people to become more involved in pastoral activities. In the evening, the screening of the film Jesus of Nazareth in the local language (Éwé) marked the end of this first day.

Sunday, January 5, 2025: Main Activities and Closing

On Sunday, January 5, the Feast of the Epiphany, a second delegation composed mainly of members of the Avenir Positif association joined the initial group. All participants attended the Sunday Mass dedicated to the children of the parish and its two sub-stations.

After the Mass, Jean-Baptiste GNIMASSOUN led an educational session on the theme: Healthy Nutrition for a Positive Future. This session raised awareness of the importance of nutrition in children’s development.

Afterward, various games with prizes were organized to entertain the children. Meanwhile, some members, accompanied by parishioners, conducted home visits to the sick and elderly. These visits provided an opportunity to share the Good News and distribute food kits.

It is also worth noting that a batch of clothing and shoes, donated by Maria Aliya, an LMC aspirant, was handed over to the Parish Priest for the needy.

The mission concluded with a distribution of gifts to the children, bringing joy and hope to many households.

Conclusion

This missionary outing was a true blessing for the Saint Joseph Parish community in Assahun-Fiagbé. It not only strengthened the bonds between the LMC aspirants and the parishioners but also provided spiritual and material support to those in need.

Ernest BOTRI

Golden Jubilee of the MCCJ’s presence in Benin

4 November, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

On Sunday, October 27 at 10 a.m., the Pontifical High Mass was held presided over by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Cotonou to mark the 50th anniversary of the presence in Benin of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus. After this great celebration which was attended by the Reverend Father Provincial of Togo-Ghana-Benin and several Comboni religious, the Reverend Father Chaplain invited us to the fraternal agape organized for this purpose by the Community of Comboni Missionaries residing in Benin.

After the feast, an information session and official launch of the formation of the Comboni Lay Missionaries was presided over by the Reverend Father Chaplain of the Comboni Lay Missionaries in the presence of Rose, Ulrich, Isabella, Dénise, Esperanzia of myself and the Scholastic Constantine. The Reverend Father Chaplain entrusted us to the good care of the Scholastic Constantine for our formation. From 10 a.m. when we started the celebrations, we left at 3:45 p.m. We were all very happy with the feast of COMBONI and the beginning of our accompaniment by the Reverend Father Chaplain.

Lucien Aboe