Daniele Comboni
Missionari Comboniani
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Missionary retreat in Balsas (Brazil): Comboni spirituality and the social commitment of the Church”
Monday, November 14, 2022
The Comboni Missionaries left the Diocese of Balsas in 2017, after 65 years of presence, marked by many achievements in the life of the communities, in the formation of leaders and in social pastoral. Dom Valentim Meneses, the present bishop of Balsas/Maranhão, who will take over the diocese in 2020, invited the Comboni Missionaries to make a retreat for the leaders of the communities, emphasising the social commitment of the Church.
Thus the Comboni family present in Piquiá/Maranhão, with the support of the Comboni Spirituality Groups (GEC) of Balsas, organised this retreat in two different locations, to encourage greater participation, on the theme: “Comboni spirituality and the social commitment of the Church”.
On September 17, 2022 (Saturday), the first one was held in the city of Pastos Bons (280 km from Balsas), with the participation of about 25 persons. It was a very rich day of sharing and remembering the journey of the communities, and rekindling the commitment of faith, inspired by the Comboni charism.
On the following day (Sunday) the retreat was held in the city of Balsas, with the participation of more than 50 persons, with the assistance of the diocesan bishop in the reflection of the theme. He encouraged that the spirituality that we assume as Christians, regardless of what it is, should lead us, more than having faith in Jesus, to have the faith of Jesus. This makes the difference, since it prevents us from creating a logic that serves our personal interests and wills, keeping us in the logic of the Kingdom of God.
In both moments we had a video of Regimar and Valmir, sharing their first 5 months of presence in Mozambique and the challenges faced by the population with the Gombe Cyclone. The GECs of Piquiá, Pastos Bons and Balsas shared about their meetings and invited those present to be part of the journey of deepening of faith and missionary commitment, as a concrete gesture of this retreat. It was a rich moment of missionary animation, inspired by the charism of St. Daniel Comboni!
