December 2011 - Familia Comboniana 692

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

Annual THEMES for Ongoing Formation foreseen by the General Council for the Six-year period

2011:   Elements of our spirituality (concluded).

2012:   The Word of God.

2013:   Fraternity, journey of reconciliation.

2014:   Comboni, Plan and Mission.

2015:   Heart and the crucified poor.

Secretariat for Evangelisation

4th Meeting on the Ratio Missionis

The Ratio Missionis Commission met in Rome on 22 November and defined the final details and the layout to be used for the document. Once the required corrections and additions have been made, the Ratio Missionis will be sent to the General Council for approval after which it will be presented to the Intercapitular Assembly due to take place in Rome in September next year, 2012. Fr. Antonio Villarino, the General Council reference person for evangelisation, took part in the meeting.

It was decided to use a format similar to that of the Chapter Acts 2009’s document. Comments on various topics will be inserted in frames in the same section as the topics. Agreement was reached regarding the introduction and conclusion.

Fr. Mariano Tibaldo will review and correct the document according to the proposals made by the Commission. He will also write the introduction and conclusion and submit it to the members of the Commission for their final approval. After the approval of the General Council, a limited number of copies of the document will be printed and presented to the Intercapitular for approval.

Perpetual Professions

Ordinations to the priesthood

Holy Redeemer Guild

December        01 – 15 U           15 – 31 CN

January           01 – 07 A            08 – 15 C              16 – 31 BNE

Prayer Intentions

December – That the contemplation of the Word, who becomes flesh and lives among us, may enlighten the people of our time that they may again find the door that leads to meeting others in dialogue, love, deep respect and peace. Let us pray.

January – That the Inter-Assembly which the Secular Comboni Missionaries are holding during this month of January may be a constructive moment of revision of the journey already accomplished and an opportunity to discover new impetus in living the missionary vocation of the Secular Comboni Missionaries. Let us pray.

CENTRAL AFRICA

Visit of Superior General

Fr. Enrique Sánchez González, Superior General, spent from 4 to 19 November visiting Central Africa. He also preached a week of spiritual exercises to 27 confreres.

Fr. Enrique arrived in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on the evening of 2 November. That same evening he went with the confreres to a retreat centre in the capital, Foyer de Charité, for the spiritual exercises.

The retreat was followed by a meeting of the Provincial Council and, on Sunday 13, by a concelebration at our parish of Notre Dame de Fatima. The next part of the visit consisted in visits to the missions of Mongumba and Boda, in the diocese of Mgr. Rino Perin. These missions were chosen by reason of their relative closeness to the capital with respect to the others served by the Comboni missionaries – one only four hours drive away, mostly through thick forest, over non-asphalted roads and the second a mere five hours.

CONGO

Cenacles of Missionary Prayer in Kinshasa

On Sunday, 6 November, 2011, the Kinshasa Cenacles of Missionary Prayer (27 from the diocese of Kinshasa and one from the diocese of Kisantu), gathered for their annual Congress. The Cenacles were founded by Fr. Claudino Ferreira Gomes, Comboni Missionary, in 1987, and have been present in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1998. The Cenacles are communities of lay people committed to mission promotion in the parishes and base communities. Their activities are so organised that they leave ample room for prayer and meditation on the Word of God. On Sunday, 6 November, more than 400 members of the Cenacles gathered for the Congress, all wearing the t-shirt proposed by Afriquespoir on the occasion of the 130^th anniversary of the death of St. Daniel Comboni. The Congress went very well, thanks to the work of Fr. Enrique Bayo Mata, chaplain to the Cenacles, Fr. Jacques Pwobe Monsengo, the scholastics Ngonda Tollet Romain Rodolphe and Katya Mutsopi Gervais as well as that of the Comboni Sisters Josephine Calle and Dina Ramos.

Perpetual profession

On Sunday, 20 November, the entire Comboni Family gathered at the parish of Notre Dame du Bon Secours at Bibwa (Kinshasa) for the perpetual profession of Bro. Jean-Marie Mwamba Kabaya. It was an exceptional occasion which none of the confreres, the Comboni Sisters, the Scholastics or the Postulants wanted to miss. Witnessing someone consecrate himself for life in the Comboni Family for the service of the mission strengthens the commitment of all and moves them to forge ahead along the path marked out by our holy Founder.

The parish of Bibwa also used the occasion to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the death of St. Daniel Comboni. All the Small Christian Communities attended. The Sunday Mass was an important moment of communion and profession of faith. Bro. Jean-Marie, during his speech, told of his vocational and spiritual journey. After the Mass, which lasted from nine in the morning to a quarter past twelve, the parish committee invited everyone to share a celebratory and fraternal meal. Bro. Jean-Marie, who holds a licentiate in philosophy, is preparing to go to Rome where he will study for a doctorate.

CURIA

Ceremony at the Cemetery in Rome

On 14 November, some members of the Curia community went to the Monumental Cemetery of Verano, in Rome, to remember in prayer the deceased Comboni confreres. In the cool of the autumn, in a place steeped in history, art and culture, they celebrated the Eucharist in the same spirit as that of the Founder, St. Daniel Comboni: “We are united in the Heart of Jesus on this earth to be united with Him forever in Paradise.”

DSP

Ongoing formation on evangelization

For the second time this year, seventeen confreres met in our house in Graz, Austria, from 6 to 9 November, 2011, to further clarify and reflect on the topic of evangelization, particularly on how it should be carried out in the DSP.

Fr. Franz Helm SVD addressed the confreres convincingly on topics such as “Mission in Europe” and “How will the Church have a future, given that she is missionary, without putting undue pressure on the interested persons?”

Mr. Toni Stegmair, on the other hand, reported about the commitment of his Diocese of Augsburg. The department “mission, development and peace” supports parishes and groups that are committed to matters of justice and peace worldwide, helping them to achieve “missionary awareness”.

Mr. Ernst Zerche, being in charge of Missio Styria, had been asked to present the work of this group. His talk concluded with a short visit to the “Missio House” that is situated on our premises.

Finally the confreres went to visit the “Welthaus (world house)”, which it is an alliance of seven catholic organizations in Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, St. Poelten and Vienna committed to development aid groups. The Welthaus exists since 1998: “Under one name we fight together for a sustainable society, where human dignity and justice play a central role.”

Audio-visual meeting of religious Institutes

The Audio-visual meeting of religious Institutes (AVO) is a workshop for religious people and for their co-operators. They meet once a year and their last workshop was held at Bestwig, east of Cologne, from 9 to 11 November 2011. About 40 people attended the meeting and a third of the participants were lay persons. Fr. Anton Schneider also attended it.

The event turned out to be a mixture of inputs, workshops and collegial consulting. Resource persons dealt with the question of public relations on the side of religious Institutes. One resource person dealt with the topic of “dealing with a crisis” that may strike religious Institutes (for example, concerning child abuse). Another explained the situation of ecclesial print media, such as the diocesan weekly.

ECUADOR

Meeting of the Brothers in Ecuador

The Comboni Brothers of the province of Ecuador met at the retreat house “Nuestra Señora del Quinche”, in Quito, from 25 to 27 November, 2011. The theme for reflection was “The youth in a continual process of change and the Comboni Brother vocation”. The following Brothers attended: Gino Baldo, Simone Bauce, Umberto Martinuzzo, Agostinho Jamal, Abel Dimanche Godfrey and Jacques Eluma Nsele. The next meeting is planned for 14 to 16 August, 2012, at the Comboni house in San Lorenzo. The proposed theme is: “The Comboni Brother and human and social promotion”.

EGYPTE

Assembly of Bursars

The Assembly of the Comboni provincial bursars of Anglophone Africa and Mozambique was held in Cairo from 21 to 25 November. The theme for the meeting was that of carrying out the decisions of the General Chapter with particular attention to the Common Fund.

The daily work of the meeting was accompanied by the shouts of protesters and those making last minute preparations for the elections with the country in turmoil.

On Wednesday 23, the intervention of Mgr. Michael Fitzgerald, Apostolic Nuncio in Egypt, helped the participants to gain an understanding of the various forms of support and economic interaction between the Holy See and the local Churches in Africa.

The Assembly represents an important stage in the process of the Comboni group in the continent towards greater sharing and responsible witness.

ETHIOPIA

Ordination to the priesthood

Tesfaye Erbelo Anulo was ordained priest in his parish of Wassera, in the Apostolic Vicariate of Hosanna, Ethiopia. The ceremony took place on 5 November and was presided over by the bishop of the newly-created Vicariate, Mgr. Woldeghiorghis Matheos.

Many local priests and male and female religious took part in this event, important not only for Comboni Missionaries but also for the whole Church. Wassera is the cradle of a good number of priests, religious and missionaries at the service of the Gospel and of the Church, now scattered in various locations in the Christian world.

Fr. Tesfaye completed his theological studies at Sao Paolo (Brazil) and has been appointed to Mozambique. He will be the first Comboni Ethiopian to work in that country.

ITALIA

New edition of the biography of Comboni

The Nigrizia Foundation is working on a new edition of the biography of Comboni written by Domenico Agasso. It contains some new facts not found in the previous edition of 2003.

In the new edition, the preface is written by the director of Famiglia Cristiana, Rev. Antonio Sciortino. As an introduction, a reflection on Comboni by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini on Comboni has been included and, as an epilogue, a text by Jean Guitton taken from the book by Lozano, Afrique, passion d'une vie, St. Paul Publications.

The final chapter has been increased with the description of the canonisation and its repercussions in various countries of the world, as well as a note on the situation of the Institutes of the Comboni Family. The 16-page photographic insert has been largely revised and includes photos of the beatification, the canonisation, Limone and the Comboni Chapel in Verona, etc. There is also the addition of a brief, essential biography of Comboni and, at the end, a presentation by the Nigrizia foundation, Onlus.

The book is entitled Un profeta dell'Africa: Daniele Comboni, and now has 352 pages, excluding the insert. It costs € 17,00; confreres receive a 40% discount. It is important to remember that the Nigrizia Foundation Onlus owns the book and so it may be printed, in whole or in part, in various languages, with the permission of ONLUS.

The book may be ordered from: Fondazione Nigrizia Onlus - Vicolo Pozzo, 1, 37129 Verona; or from Fr. Marco Vailati, the administrator of the Verona CCM - vailati@com-boniani.org; or from Fr. Venanzio Milani, via S. Pancrazio 17 B, 00152 Roma - vmilani@emi.it.

The feast of Comboni

For some years the public feast of St. Daniel Comboni in Verona has been celebrated, at various venues, on the Sunday nearest to 10 October, together with a parish community of the city, in order to gradually increase awareness in the local communities. This year, on Sunday, 9 October, we gathered with the parish community of Tempio Votivo, in the care of the Conventual Franciscans of the Province of the Saint of Padova. Mgr. Michele Russo, Comboni Bishop of Doba (Chad), accompanied by Mgr. Germano Grachane, a Lazarus and Bishop of Nacala (Mozambique), presided at the Eucharist. Also present were various Franciscan and Comboni priests and Sisters and the faithful of the parish. The celebration provided the possibility of better highlighting the message of the Founder even beyond the confines of the Comboni community.

On the following day, 10 October, there was a solemn celebration at the Mother House with Fr. Pietro Chiochetta presiding and illustrating some inspiring aspects of the charism of Comboni.

Parents’ feast

The first Sunday in November was marked by the traditional meeting of the relatives of the Veronese missionaries. The guest of honour was Fr. Antonio Villarino Rodríguez, assistant general, who came from Rome to explain, in accessible terms, the present situation of the Institute and that of the confreres working in various continents.

Using slides, Fr. Antonio presented a panorama of the life of the Institute without omitting the challenges facing more directly the missionaries in Europe and in Italy today, such as the reality of immigration and mission promotion in the local Churches.

Besides Fr. Antonio, Mgr. Julien Andavo, Bishop of Isiro (DR Congo), and many confreres from other communities and provinces also attended the celebration. In all, there were more than 150 people present at the feast which concluded with a fraternal meal and a visit to the African Museum.

A plaque in memory of nine new personalities of the Veronese Church

On Sunday, 5 November, at Piazzetta San Pietro Incarnario, in the historic centre of Verona, a plaque was unveiled in memory of nine personalities and institutions of the Veronese Church, including Comboni, who worked at the Church of San Pietro Incarnario and its surroundings. Here are the leaders of the Church in Verona who, in different ways and times found lodging there and a welcome for their works (in the church, the presbytery, or in nearby buildings): The Fathers of the Philippine Oratory carried out a long and intense pastoral service; Blessed Carlo Steeb lived there and celebrated the first Mass (1796); Don Nicola Mazza lived there as a boy and was confirmed there (1800); Saint Magdalene of Canossa began her work of charity (1801-1808); Sister Theodora Campostrini established her first community there (1819-1821); Don Antonio Provolo opened his first school for the deaf and dumb (1830); Blessed Antonio Rosmini stayed there on several occasions; Fr. Filippo Bardellini became the Rector and founded an establishment for the disabled (1921); Saint Daniele Comboni founded and established the first residence of the Missioni Africane Institute (1867-1871).

The Philippine Fathers and the Comboni Missionaries promoted the initiative of erecting the plaque, with the full approval of the Rector of the church, Rev. Francesco Grazian, Chancellor of the diocesan curia. The plaque is made from anodised aluminium and measures 40cm x 70cm. It is fixed to the outer wall of the rectory residence, near the church.

The inauguration was attended by representatives of the diocesan curia and various members of the male and female Institutes connected with the event. Also present were Fr. Antonio Villarino Rodrí-guez, Assistant General and the Bishop of Isiro (DR Congo).

The purpose of the initiative is to underline a fact that carries with it its own significance and a duty for the city of Verona: to witness, with a public plaque, that the church of San Pietro Incarnario has been for many decades the common cradle of numerous and rich charisma that, even today, continue to give a notable contribution in the form of formation and education, social assistance and missionary commitment in the territory, the diocese and the entire world.

MALAWI / ZAMBIA

Diaconate of Sc. Harold Felix Gomanjira

Sc. Harold Felix Gomanjira, who had taken the Perpetual Vows on 10 October, in Chipata, was ordained Deacon on 30 October in Chama by Mgr. Benjamin Phiri, Auxiliary Bishop of Chipata Diocese. Though the temperature was extremely high, the Christians participated in the open air celebration with great joy and simplicity. Chama is a very remote and isolated parish of Chipata diocese in the Eastern province of Zambia, bordering with Malawi. It is situated in the Luangwa Valley, the poorest area of the diocese. As Comboni Missionaries, we have been there since 1998, dedicating ourselves mainly to the work of first evangelization and human promotion. The celebration was very meaningful and brought great joy and encouragement to the Christians of that area. Some of the Christian leaders came by bicycle from places as far away as 150 kilometres, while many others walked long distances, up to 70 kilometres, through the bush and isolated places, in order to take part in the event.

Meeting of local bursars

The meeting of the local bursars of all the Comboni communities of our province, together with the secretariat for finance, took place in Lilongwe, Malawi, from 14 to 16 November. Twelve confreres took part in this meeting, directed by Fr. Raimondo Negrini, the provincial bursar. The main purpose of this meeting was to receive from each Local Bursar the Financial Reports of 2011 and to analyse together the Community Budgets and the Projects for 2012, prepared by each community. These Budgets and Projects will be presented for approval to the next Provincial Council meeting, which will take place in December.

The Agenda included a time of ongoing formation in which the participants reflected on the orientations of the Provincial Six-Year Plan on Finances and Mission, approved by the Provincial Assembly, and on the Guidelines given by the General Secretariat for Finances.

This meeting of the Local Bursars takes place every year and has become a good tradition of our Province. It is a moment of communion and discussion about the material means which Providence puts at our disposal for the service of the Mission, and it serves as a concrete tool to put into practice the spirit of the Common Fund.

MOÇAMBIQUE

Commemoration of the dead

On 2 November, we commemorated our deceased Comboni confreres, some of whom are buried in Mozambique, with a Eucharist celebrated in the great cemetery of Lhanguene (Maputo), where Fr. Giorgio Ferrero and Fr. Giovanni Zani are buried. Many people from the parish of Benfica attended the Mass. We also prayed for Fr. Emilio Franzolin who died suddenly in Beira on 26 October, while returning from the funeral of a Xavarian friend, Fr. Bruno Boschetti. A wonderful missionary animator and vocations promoter, we shall find it hard to find someone to take his place, given the scarcity of personnel and the advanced age of some confreres.

Provincial Council

The Provincial Council met at our house in Mwahivire-Nampula from 4 to 8 November to organise in the best way possible the situation of the various Comboni communities, some of which have less than three members. The chief concern is to provide good formators for the pre-postulancy and the postulancy. Fr. Jacob Sodokin (Benin), formator of the pre-postulancy, is doing a course for formators at ISSMA (Maputo) during the school holidays.

Meeting of community superiors

Because of the great distances and travelling expenses, the meeting of the community superiors was held immediately after that of the Provincial Council, from 8 to 10 November, at the Catechetical Centre of Anchilo-Nampula. Five superiors of the thirteen communities were absent. It was a very peaceful meeting during which our community life and ongoing formation were discussed. Fr. Giorgio Giboli, responsible for OGF, brought out the main points of the OGF meeting held recently in South Africa. He underlined the importance of the “Community Day” and the need to let ourselves be “moulded” by the Word of God. He also explained how to prepare the “Personal Life Project”, the Community Project and how to enliven the community.

NAP

“Peace Corner” receives distinguished Building Award

On October 28^th, the “Peace Corner”, a youth program in Chicago begun by the Comboni Missionaries, was presented with the 2011 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Distinguished Building Award. Forty-six winners were chosen from the 285 projects entered in the AIA’s 56^th annual competition. The “Peace Corner” youth centre grew from an over-crowded storefront to a modern, spacious building that opened in April of 2011. A streamlined, transparent, colourful structure made of durable, economical material invites boys and girls into a safe environment that will serve the needs of youth for years to come. In Austin, one of the roughest neighbourhoods on Chicago’s west side, the 8,500 square foot facility offers a computer lab, classrooms, lounge, and a gym – all the ingredients to keep kids mentally occupied and physically fit. Its design allows a generous amount of daylight so visitors don’t feel hemmed in, and its green roof gives an environmentally friendly message.

POLSKA

Visit by the Vicar General

On November 16-22 Fr. Alberto Pelucchi, Vicar General, travelled to Poland to carry out the yearly visit of the Comboni communities, one located in Krakow and the other in Warsaw. This was his first official visit. Earlier on, last October to be exact, he had been in Poland already, but stopping only in Krakow, on the occasion of the priestly ordination of two Polish Comboni Missionaries, Sebastian Chmiel and Maciej Miąsik.

During his stay he had the opportunity to meet personally with all the confreres for a face to face dialogue, before meeting them as a group and getting to know in person the places where we live and work. He also took part in the celebrations for the priestly ordination and first Mass of Fr. Krzysztof Zębik.

Before leaving, Fr. Alberto Pelucchi chose to dwell on some aspects of the Comboni presence in Poland. First of all he thanked everyone, Poles and others, for their commitment on the spot: currently the Comboni Missionaries in Poland come from five different countries (Poland 4, Mexico 1, Togo 1, Benin 1, Italy 1). He also reminded all that the process of requalification currently carried out in the Institute is a good reason also for Poland to review its commitments and optimize its strengths, its structures, the service and the witness as Comboni Missionaries. All this to be done while keeping in mind the double purpose of our presence in that country, namely mission promotion and vocation promotion.

Finally, he invited them to envision a realistic planning for Polish-born personnel, in order to have a fair rotation between those who work in Europe and those who work in other continents, holding on to the fact that in Poland the internationality of the confreres is a great value that needs to be preserved.

Priestly Ordination

On November 19 Fr. Krzysztof Zębik was ordained to the priesthood in his native parish of Dzierżoniów, not far from Breslau. To reach his goal Krzysztof had started his theological formation in the diocesan seminary. He then entered as a Comboni postulant in Warsaw. After the novitiate he completed his studies in Nairobi. Always in Kenya he also completed his missionary service among the Pokot in the mission of Amakuriat. All told, 11 years of formation, a lengthy and intense journey of preparation, at the end of which he felt fully confirmed in his Comboni Missionary vocation. He was ordained by Bishop Adam Balabuch, auxiliary in his diocese, in an atmosphere that was at the same time respectful and joyous and with a large crowd in attendance.

What made the occasion exceptional is that, in the preparation of the event, the entire parish community, which on that day was celebrating its patron feast of Christ the King, felt involved. The choir, the children group, the youth group, the rosary group together with many more members of the community, all of them chose to join the event and contribute various elements of the celebration, which was attended also by all the priests of the deanery. It was a community event and an occasion to do some true missionary vocation promotion. Fr. Maciek Zielinski took care of the three-day retreat that preceded the ordination.

On the souvenir prayer card Krzysztof quoted the words of St. Paul: “How then are they to call on him if they have not come to believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard of him? And how will they hear of him unless there is a preacher for them? And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As Scripture says: How beautiful are the feet of the messengers of good news” (Rom 10, 14.15). These words sound like an invitation to one and all to live the missionary dimension of one’s Christian vocation.

Missionary camp in Kenya

In September, a group of young Poles, accompanied by Fr. Maciek Zieliński and the deacon Rev. Krzysztof Zębik, went to Kenya for a missionary experience. It was the first time for the Vocations Promotion sector to organise camp in the missions. The journey turned out to be an excellent opportunity to getting to know the reality of the mission and also for the discernment of one’s vocation.

The youths spent most of their time at Korogocho where Fr. Stefano Giudici is based, involved with the people in endless pastoral engagements. Subsequently they went to the mission of Amakuriat.

The joy of these young Poles was clearly visible when they completed the experience: the whole situation, the people they met and the commitment of the missionary men and women enriched them greatly. At the end, one of the participants told Fr. Maciek that, when he was leaving Amakuriat, a local person asked him when he would be back. This question struck him and remains a motive for him to continue to reflect on his missionary vocation.

In view of the positive outcome, it is hoped to hold the missionary camp again next summer.

PORTOGALLO

Assembly of missionary animators

Gathered for the annual Assembly, the missionaries responsible for mission promotion (ANIMAG) reflected on their work and manifested the desire to spread and concretise, in cooperation with the Pontifical Missionary Works, the content of the pastoral letter As I have done to you, do you also. Towards a missionary face of the Church in Portugal.

The diocese of Viseu hosted the meeting which took place from 8 to 11 November and brought together 51 missionaries, both men and women, from different parts of the country and the various Missionary Institutes working in Portugal.

The first day was devoted to ongoing formation with interventions by speakers who took up such themes as “The missionary energy of the community of the Acts”, and “Evangelisation in its various dimensions”.

D. Ilídio Leandro, Bishop of Viseu and host of the meeting, spoke of “the missionary dimension in its pastoral dynamics” in the light of the Synod being held in his diocese. “More and more the proclamation of Jesus Christ must be considered an essential part of pastoral practice”, he affirmed, giving the example of the increasing number of children coming to catechism without ever having prayed and without even knowing a prayer.

The Assembly concluded with a meeting between the directors of IMAG (Missionary Institutes) and ANIMAG. Complaints about the lack of personnel are often heard during missionary weeks. The President of IMAG, Fr. Alberto Silva, drew therefore the attention of the provincial superiors to this problem.

SOUTH SUDAN

Priestly Ordination of Philip Andruga Kenyi

The deacon Philip Andruga Kenyi was ordained a priest on 20 November at Yei by Mgr. Erkolano Lodu Tombe in the course of a colourful and lengthy open air celebration, in the shade of mango trees. The celebration was marked by quite a bit of rain: a sign of blessing in African tradition.

During his homily, Mgr. Erkolano said that Philip was a gift of his Church to the Institute of the Comboni Missionaries. He also added that the Church was in need of many servants for its task of evangelization. Fr. Philip was deeply moved and happy: “For me the day of my ordination has been something that I had long waited for and I believe it was so for many other people as well.” For sure, in the heart of Fr. Philip the joy of his ordination was mingled to the sadness and sorrow for the death of his father, Natalino Kenyi, two weeks earlier in Juba.

Fr. Philip studied theology in São Paulo, Brazil, and did his two year missionary service in two missions in South Sudan, where he will remain for the next three years.

TCHAD

Visit by Bro. Daniele Giusti

Bro. Daniele Giusti, Assistant General, paid an official visit to the Comboni Province of Chad from 1 to 20 November. Speaking of Moissala, the first Comboni mission in the country, Bro. Daniele recalled that it was in one of the most remote areas of the parish that the first Mass of Fr. Filippo Ivardi Ganapini, recently back in Moissala as a priest, after his return from his period of missionary service, was celebrated: “The faithful could not contain their joy for what they considered a rare privilege in an area usually forgotten by all … but not by Jesus or his missionaries”.

Meeting of Provincials of Francophone Africa

The provincials of Francophone Africa met from 22 to 25 November at Sarh with Bro. Daniele Giusti, Assistant General, to examine questions relating to their continent.

The themes discussed were The Continental Six-year Plan, the Ongoing Formation Centre, Afriquespoir Centre, Interprovincial novitiates and preparation for the Intercapitular Assembly. During the course of the meeting, mention was made of the process of sensitising the confreres regarding the request of the Chapter about the state of the Institute, in view of the possible presentation of proposals to the Intercapitular Assembly in September, 2012.

TOGO-GHANA-BENIN

Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Benin

From 18 to 20 November, 2011, the Holy Father travelled to Benin, on the twenty-second apostolic journey of his pontificate and his second to Africa. With all the celebrations and meetings, it was indeed a Marathon for the Holy Father who scrupulously respected every item on his packed itinerary.

During the three days of his visit the joy of the people was plain to see throughout the city of Cotonou and every time the Holy Father moved. In 54 hours in Benin, the Pope met just about everyone: the elderly, the youth and the children; the healthy and the sick; people of all religious denominations, ordinary Christians, pastors, future pastors, people in authority of all kinds. He visited Our Lady of Divine Mercy Cathedral in Cotonou, met the President of Benin, members of the government, a representation of the institutions of the republic, the diplomatic corps and representatives of the main traditional religions. He prayed at the tombs of Cardinal Bernardin Gantin and of Mgr. Louis Parisot; he met the priests, men and women religious, seminarians and laity. At the basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Ouidah he signed the apostolic exhortation Africae munus; he visited the orphans at “Paix et joie”, run by the missionaries of charity, he met the bishops of Benin and the children at the church of St. Rita. Lastly, he celebrated the Mass of Christ the King at the “Stade de l’amitié”, at Cotonou, with more than 800,000 pilgrims from Africa and the world.

Pope Benedict XVI leaves a Church in Benin which is joyful and proud and, despite the crises it still suffers, a Church which has retrieved its own dignity. It is a message of hope and peace that the Pope brought, as emphasised in his homily during the Mass at the stadium, recalling everyone to a Christian life that shines with the light of Christ, a Christian life based on authentic faith. This is a faith which, both in tradition and modernity, must be lived “avoiding the pitfalls which exist in the African continent and elsewhere, e.g., the unconditional submission to the laws of the market and of finance, the exacerbated and sterile nationalism or tribalism that may become fatal, the extreme politicisation of interreligious tensions at the expense of the common good, or the breaking-up of human, cultural, ethical and religious values” (Speech on his arrival at the airport).

The Holy Father once again showed us how the strength of love is stronger than the burden of age.

From Adidome to Mafi Kumase (Ghana)

The sixth of November, 2011, is a day which will not easily be forgotten. It actually marks the happy conclusion of a process of discernment, reflection and dialogue begun in 2009 when it was proposed to the local Church at Keta-Akatsi that the Comboni parish of Adidome should pass into the hands of the diocesan clergy, so that we could continue our missionary presence at Mafi Kumase, one of the out-stations. It is a long story!

On 1 January, 1975, the first Comboni missionary in Ghana, Fr. Giuseppe Rabbiosi, working from Abor, baptised the first Christians at Adidome. After the parish of Sogakope was set up in 1981, Fr. Augusto Zancanaro, the former parish priest who died in 1991, laid the foundations of a chapel at Adidome. In 1997, the Comboni missionaries moved from Sogakope to Adidome: the beginning of fourteen years of great evangelisation work that gave rise to a Christian community capable of keeping its lamp burning with its own oil, as Fr. Giuseppe Rabbiosi put it during his homily at the Mass of consignment. The Comboni Missionaries are now established at Mafi Kumase, an old out-station that will become a new parish dedicated to the Good Shepherd. They make up a strong Comboni community that gives us the possibility of a new missionary beginning where the one and only priority is first evangelisation!

Spiritual exercises 2011

From 6 to 12 November, the priests, Brothers, scholastics doing their missionary service, and the Comboni Sisters gathered for the annual spiritual exercises at the retreat house of the Canossian Sisters at Agoe, in the outskirts of Lomé. Fr. Dieter Skweres, SVD, a Biblical scholar, helped us to pray by means of the continuous reading of the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. The reading was both spiritual and missionary, in the company of our holy Founders and friends, St. Daniel Comboni and St. Arnold Janssen, during which we endeavoured to examine our apostolic commitment today, our deep convictions regarding the vocation we have received and the mission entrusted to us – a mission which is a precious treasure in the vessels of clay that we are.

Fr. José Alberto Maximino de Almeida (25.04.1956 – 21.11.2011)

Died at N’Djamena (Chad). He was living outside the community.

Let us pray for our beloved dead

THE FATHERS: Yohannes, of the Sc. Augustin Soedjede Kossi (T); Vitaliano, of Fr. Phillip Andruga Kenyi (SS).

THE MOTHER: María Cayetana, of Fr. Miguel Torres Madrigal (M); Daphne, of Fr. Gordon Paul Rees (ACFP).

THE COMBONI MISSIONARY SISTERS: Sr. Annunziata Carnicelli; Sr. M. Eugenia Morlotti.