On June 21-22 we held our Yearly Assembly of the CLM of Brazil at the Comboni Minor Seminary Bro. Alfredo Fiorini of Curitiba, PR.
The theme, “To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the ACLM with daring and missionary commitment,” helped us to review our history and to have a privileged time of exchange, sharing, community living and celebration during this year when we complete 20 years since the creation of the Association of Comboni Lay Missionaries – ACLM.
In the context of the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Comboni Institute, we were graced by having with us the MCCJ provincial, Fr. Dario, who helped us reflect, by way of a comparative diagram, on some of the fundamental intuitions of Comboni and of Pope Francis. We also the enjoyed the presence Sr. Nilma de Jesús, provincial of the Comboni Missionary Sisters of Brazil, who shared some of the essential moments of the missionary journey. As a united Comboni Family, Mission takes shape in our being as relationship, nearness, reaching planned goals in the world of our peripheries, of the prisons, of those who have no land, of the indigenous people, of those who have no voice and no chances: all those who live at the margins. We lived through a great fraternal meeting because, due to the distances and the realities around us, we cannot meet as often as we would like. It was a privileged moment to nourish what is mystical, replenish the strength, reinforce the ties and reflect on our faith and on our missionary identity.
Each day the invitation is renewed to be open to others, to widen the horizons, to be on the move, to share faith and life, and be signs. Our missionary vocation impels us to move out of our reality, to break through borders, to go to meet God with the least, to celebrate hope and to become family with humankind.
We had the opportunity to talk about the present situation of the ACLM, its progress and difficulties. It is a journey that is taking shape, despite its frailties. Thus we recognize this treasure we carry with us and our responsibility to continue to promote mission in the Church and to awaken all to our common commitment as people who have been baptized.
The highlight of our meeting was the Thanksgiving Mass for the 20th anniversary of the ACLM celebrated in the parish of Santa Amelia, which has been a great source of support in the CLM journey since the beginning in 1995. The welcoming of the CLM couple, Liliana and Flávio, who are traveling to Maranhão, in the region of Piquía, and their missionary sharing, touched all present in a special way and very fraternally we celebrated and shared our new projects in a mix of joy, as well as tears, dreams and desires.
We left with some stated objectives and the desire to work more united as Comboni Family, both in mission and in mission promotion, strengthening the groups of Comboni spirituality found in Curitiba and Balsas as well as other places where the Spirit blows. We also felt united to the journey of the International CLM and with our brothers and sisters spread over more than 20 countries across the globe with whom we will hold the International Assembly of the CLM in 2018.
With the grace of celebrating the 300th anniversary of Our Mother Aparecida, inspired by St. Daniel Comboni in the following of Jesus and united to the missionary journey of the Church in Brazil and in the world, may we be ready to guard and to help flourish every day more the missionary call of the Comboni vocation. Let us stay in touch!
CLM of Brazil
Thanks for the work done. May others be inspired and work zealously as you are doing.