Familia Comboniana 773 - April 2019

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

GENERAL NOTES – Consulta, March-April 2019

1. Appointments

Fr. Medina Martinez Guillermo de Jesus has been appointed a member of the Council for Finance, for three year, as from 1 January, 2019.

Fr. Paolo Latorre is confirmed as a member of the Council for Finance for a further three years starting on 1 February 2019.

Fr. Manuel Ferreira Horta is confirmed as technical counsellor for the auditing of the accounts of the Council for Finance for a further three years starting on 15 March 2019.

Fr. Manuel Augusto Lopes Ferreira is appointed Director of Studium Combonianum as from 1 May 2019.

Fr. De Iaco Cosimo is appointed Procurator General as from 1 July 2019.

2. Consultations and elections

The GC invites all confreres to accompany with a deep spirit of discernment the process of consultations for the appointment of Circumscription superiors. This requires of each confrere a commitment to personal and community prayer, and sincere consultations and dialogue among confreres.

The service of animating, coordinating and organising our life in our circumscriptions demands that those called to this service have intellectual and organisational ability, and above all a profound life of faith, a strong feeling of belonging to our Institute and to the mission, as well as a capacity for healthy human relations with the confreres, the ability to listen, empathy and decision-making for the common good.

3. October 2019: Extraordinary Mission Month

The centenary of the Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud provided Pope Francis with a starting point from which to proclaim the month of October 2019 an Extraordinary Mission Month. The Pope would like this month to «reawaken more fully awareness of the ad gentes mission and to renew with fresh zeal the missionary transformation of life and pastoral policies » (Letter to Card. Filoni). Furthermore, the Extraordinary Mission Month will coincide with the Special Synod for Amazonia to be celebrated in Rome and in whose preparations some of our confreres are actively participating. We are certain that each circumscription will celebrate this month in the best possible way, even though this year is dedicated to interculturality and the circumscriptions have planned various activities on that theme.

To celebrate this Month, the General Secretariat for the Mission has suggested two activities for all circumscriptions: 1) to send in one or two interviews (in the form of short videos of three or four minutes in which an answer is given to the question: Why is the ad gentes mission still necessary in the context where you live? and 2) write some reflections and/or experiences of life lived in the ad gentes mission. These contributions will be published on our websites. We trust the circumscription superiors and the secretaries for the mission will encourage the confreres to put these proposals into effect.

4. Solidarity with the victims of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe

The news bulletins have told the story of the tragic loss of hundreds of lives and how thousands of families have lost their homes, property and harvests due to the cyclone and floods along the Zambezi River. Some Comboni communities are located in places where the violent rains have caused most victims. The headquarters of our Beira community and that of the Comboni Sisters have been seriously damaged. On 20 March, Pope Francis drew the attention of the international community to the tragedy: “In the last few days, great floods have spread mourning and devastation in various regions of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. I express my sorrow and my closeness to those dear peoples. I entrust the many victims and their families to the mercy of God and I implore comfort and support for thus who have been struck by this calamity”.

The GC appreciates the initiatives taken by some provinces to give financial help to the victims and sets aside a significant sum that will be given to the provinces of Mozambique and Malawi-Zambia, which will see that it is used to help the people affected by this tragedy. The invitation to take concrete initiatives of solidarity is extended to all the circumscriptions of the Institute. The General Economate is prepared to facilitate the transfer of funds collected.

By letting us know the amount of aid collected before the end of April, the provinces of Mozambique and Malawi-Zambia will be better able to plan and organise the help they can give.

5. Rule of Life

As had been planned, the restricted commission (two secretaries and the coordinator) for the Revision of the Rule of Life met in Rome from 4 to 8 March. Fr. Markus Körber, one of the secretaries, was unable to attend for health reasons; Fr. Benito De March attended in his place.

The commission was in a position to report that most of the circumscriptions have sent remarks and suggestions for eventual corrections to the RL. It also received some personal proposals sent by confreres. Many remarks were discussed and rewritten in the form of alternative texts by the commission. Up to the date established (15 May), we will continue to receive the work of the circumscriptions that, for various reasons, have not yet submitted their proposals.

The coordinator of the central commission, Fr. Víctor-Hugo Castillo Matarrita, handed over to the General Council all the work done during these days. Together, they accepted the proposal to involve, at this point in the process, the general secretaries so that, each in his own sector, may work on the basic elements that ought to be included in the texts of the RL. This work is expected to be sent to the commission no later than 15 May.

With respect to the meeting due to be held from 10 to 15 June, the central commission hope to have at its disposal a draft containing all the proposals suggested. It is meant to be a working document for the commission which, in turn, will pass it on to the Comboni consultants.

6. The importance of discernment carried out together on the suitability of our Scholastics/Brothers in initial formation

The General Council has observed that there is an increasing number of cases where there is tension and serious differences between Circumscription Superiors and Formators in discerning the suitability of Scholastics/Brothers in initial formation. This problem is accentuated by the lack of continual reciprocal communication between those involved, with the result that the Formators reveal serious problems in the journey of the candidates only at the end of the scholasticate/CIF. In some cases, the discernment of Circumscription Superiors and Formators produces opposing conclusions. To remedy this situation, the General Council all the confreres involved to:

- Put into practice what is laid down in our Ratio Fundamentalis No. 490 which speaks of the importance of discernment made together by major superiors and formators; of a frequent and regular exchange of information regarding the formation journey of the candidates; of the duty of formators to point out in good time to the competent authorities any serious difficulty whatever of the candidates so that they can be faced up to in good time in a spirit of dialogue and open and clear discernment; of the importance to be attributed to the evaluations and suggestions of the formators.

- Avoid interference and disagreements that create harmful tensions in the formation environment.

The General Council has closely followed some Scholastics/Brothers who had to interrupt their formation journey due to personal failings. The Institute suffers because of this and therefore the GC also insists on the co responsibility of all the confreres to promote the good and the formation journey of our candidates in initial formation and to protect the good name of our communities and our Institute before the Church, society and local authorities.

7. Vademecum

During the Consulta of October 2018, the GC approved the “Vademecum for the management of certain situations involving the members of the Institute”. This instrument has been translated into the various official languages of the Institute and is available to all, though it is especially useful for Circumscription Superiors who have to deal with the canonical situations regarding members of the Institute. This Vademecum was formerly a part of the Directory of the General Council and came under the title of “particular situations of confreres”. The GC has decided to separate it from the rest of the Directory first of all because these norms apply to all of us and not only the General Administration, and, secondly, to provide the provincials with a practical instrument to help them take the necessary steps in the situations that occur. The GC requests that all should know these norms follow them and apply them in justice and charity.

8. Code of Conduct

The approval of the updated version of the Code is expected to be given in June, after the General Council has seen the results of the meetings of the Holy Father with the presidents of all the Episcopal conferences in the world and with some members of religious institutes.

9. Comboni Year

On 19 September next, the XIX edition of the Comboni year of Ongoing Formation (CYOF) will open. Fourteen confreres have been enrolled of whom eight do not speak Italian; for this reason they will come to Rome three months early to study the language. A total of 314 confreres took have taken part in previous editions. This initiative in ongoing formation is a product of the decision of the 1991 General Chapter, confirmed by the 1997 Chapter and defined by the 2003 Chapter as ‘an integral part of the journey of formation of all Comboni Missionaries’ (No. 62.2) after 10-15 years of missionary service. The CYOF provides each participant with a privileged opportunity to review his personal experience of mission by means of a deeper encounter with God, with himself, with St. Daniel Comboni and with the confreres, for renewed missionary service.

10. Novitiate finalists and their assignment

This year there are 31 finalist novices in our novitiates: 13 in Cotonou, 8 in Lusaka, 6 in Xochimilco and 4 in Nampula, including two Brother candidates. First professions are planned for 4 May in Cotonou (Benin) and in Lusaka (Zambia), for 11 May in Xochimilco (Mexico) and for 25 May in Nampula (Mozambique).

In dialogue with the formators, the Circumscription Superiors and the general Secretary for Formation, the General Council has assigned them to their scholasticates/CIF: 2 to Cape Coast, 3 to Casavatore, 6 to Kinshasa, 2 to Lima, 7 to Nairobi, 5 to Pietermaritzburg, 4 to São Paulo, 1 to the CBC in Nairobi and 1 to the Bogotá CIF. 25 of them are from Africa, 5 from America and 1 from Asia. The Institute joyfully welcomes these candidates given to us by the Lord and accompanies them with its prayers.

11. JPIC in Formation

The 2018 Comboni Social Forum proposed to bring the theme of JPIC into formation. The General Secretary for Formation and the General Secretary for the Mission met to consider how to implement this project. The orientation is to create material for use in the houses of formation. It is therefore only right that the formators and those responsible for JPIC in each Circumscription give their contribution to the elaboration of this material. Fr. Daniele Moschetti, Bro. Alberto Parise and Fr. Fernando Zolli make up the commission that will prepare the first draft. They will present a proposal for themes which will then be shared with a view to enriching it. The GC sees the importance of this theme which responds to a clear Chapter orientation to continue and to deepen the Comboni mission in the field of JPIC.

11. Journeys and commitments of the GC

Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse G.

28 April – 1 May: Residential seminar in Ariccia (SEDOS)

5 – 19 May: Spiritual retreat for the NAP confreres

Fr. Jeremias dos Santos Martins

16 April – 8 May: Visit to RSA

17 – 29 May: in Portugal

Fr. Pietro Ciuciulla

7 – 11 April: in Lebanon

15 – 24 April: in Sicily

27 April – 8 May: in Togo-Ghana-Bénin

11 – 20 May: a Nairobi

Fr. Alcides Costa

8 – 21 May: visit to Mexico

29 June – 10 August: in Lima and Brazil

Bro. Alberto Lamana Cónsola

29 April – 2 May: in Pesaro for the meeting of the Brothers

20 – 25 May: in Layibi (U) for the APDESAM Brothers Assembly

27 – 31 May: in Maia (P) for a Mass Media meeting

Ordinations to the priesthood

Fr. Luna Sánchez Jonathan Alejandro (PE)   Lima (PE)   16/03/2019

Holy redeemer Guild

April       01 – 15 CN                    16 – 30 EC

May        01 – 15 ET 16 – 31 I

Prayer intentions

April – That the celebration of the passion and resurrection of Jesus may heal and reunite the peoples of all cultures and give them the strength to overcome the barriers that prevent their peaceful coexistence. Let us Pray.

May – That women may be ever more aware of their specific role and talents and participate fully in the life and leadership of the Church. Let us Pray.

Publications

Mateus Dziobkowski, L’opzione preferenziale per i poveri nella luce della vita e testimonianza di Ezechiele Ramin, a dissertation for a Licentiate in Theology of the Christian Life, a moral theme, at the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy, St Louis Section, Naples, in the academic year of 2017-2018. Accompanied by the “challenging” statement of Jesus – Blessed are the poor – which caused me much perplexity”, the ex-scholastic Mateus explains in the Introduction his decision to dedicate his work to the theme of poverty, to the poor people who accompanied him, to the saints and to all who chose to dedicate themselves to the poor with Pope Francis as their guide.

Enzo Santangelo, A Mulher que mudou a Historia, Alô Mundo, São Paulo, February 2019. The author presents Our Lady as she tells the story of the various stages in the life of her Family, from the town of Nazareth to the coming of the Holy Spirit and, as the Presentation emphasises, obedient to the norms emanating from the Council, he was careful to avoid both false exaggerations and an excessively restricted approach.

Adriana and Gianfranco Caporossi, Sister Maria Rosa Venturelli, Un’avventura di solidarietà, Roma 2019. “our aim – the authors write in the Premise – was to write a history of ACSE and the love which Fr. Renato Bresciani had for Africa and for young people, from the perspective of the collaborators of the past and those responsible for his work today”. Their work, they explained, involved interviews, long telephone calls and extracts from documents, faithfully reproduced in chronological order, together with the feelings and experiences of those who lived alongside Fr. Bresciani during those marvellous years.

Martina Spadoni, Le bambine soldato accolte dalla St. Monica Girls’ Tailoring Centre: studio della resilienza sviluppata, Università di Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum. This thesis for a degree in nursing sciences and neuropsychiatric and rehabilitation techniques is the “result of a journey undertaken to come to know at first hand the history of these female child soldiers, the victims of the civil war”, after the author met (in Italy) Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Headmistress of the school, and “her story of accounts by the children … whose voices have been left unheard for far too long and which ought to disturb our consciences”.

BRASILE

State of Roraima: contradictions and challenges

Roraima, at the moment, is a place of contrasts and challenges that the unfavourable political context, both national and international, presents to the Comboni mission.

Almost half of the Roraima population is indigenous. The Macuxi, Wapichana, Turepang, Wai Wai, Patamona and Yanomami peoples are very well organised. Various indigenous people are professionally qualified and trained: doctors, nurses, lawyers and many teachers with third-level education.

All the indigenous populations, like us, Comboni Missionaries, are very concerned at the declarations and the fist actions of the federal government of Brazil. The president has declared that not even a square centimetre of land will be given to the indigenous community or those of African descent.

Our Comboni community assists a region already recognised as indigenous territory, as well as a second unrecognised area which is coveted by many fazendeiros who have settled nearby.

We are committed – and this is part of our pastoral – together with the indigenous pastoral of Roraima, to the defence and the rights of the indigenous people and the protection of their lands.

In recent days there has been an increase in violence at the borders with Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil. The organisations and the social movements in Boa Vista are following with concern what is happening and are getting themselves organised in preparation for different scenarios. What concerns us most is the decision of the Lima Group to further increase the commercial embargo measures taken against Venezuela.

Meanwhile, in recent months, the flow of migrants across the border with Brazil has continued. Most of them wait a long time in Boa Vista.

We have begun to collaborate in assisting the Venezuelans in the reception centres of the city, and also in assisting the indigenous Waraos; however, these reception centres are now being administered by the army and we can no longer work in them.

Caritas is doing wonderful work among the migrants: the project "Journeys of Solidarity” facilitates the flow of migrants towards the interior of Brazil, with the help of various dioceses and parishes of the country which are prepared to welcome Venezuelans for an insertion period of 2-4 months. This is an important sign of solidarity and hope.

The Comboni community offers spiritual and health assistance and is ready to help in emergencies. We have made our house available and we have built two small rooms and a bathroom which have already been used to receive some Venezuelans for a short period.

CONGO

Visit by Fr. Tesfaye and Bro. Lamana

Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse, Superior General, and Bro. Alberto Lamana, General Assistant, undertook what we may call “marathon” to visit the immense Comboni Province in a vast country, the Democratic Republic of Congo where the Combonis first started to work in 1963. The visit was carried out in two stages.

The first, from 29 January to 16 February, began in the eastern part of the country, the scene of all sorts of abuses and violence, with continually increasing insecurity. Fr. Tesfaye and Bro. Alberto visited the confreres in Butembo where the Brothers’ postulancy and pre-postulancy is located. They then took part in the provincial Assembly which is held every two years, in Kisangani which is also the seat of the postulancy for candidates to the priesthood. Fr. Tesfaye presided at the opening Mass at the new postulancy chapel, visited the community and engaged in dialogue with the confreres and the Comboni lay missionaries. On Sunday, 10 February, he celebrated the Mass in the Comboni-run parish of Malkia wa Mashaidi.

The second stage of the vast took place from 26 February to 8 March, in the region of Kinshasa. On his arrival, Fr. Tesfaye was net by the provincial superior Fr. Joseph Mumbere. There are four communities in Kinshasa. The provincial house is also the seat of the magazine Afriquespoir. Having met each confrere, Father General visited the community of Bibwa along with the parish of Notre Dame du Bon Secours and, on 1 March, the community of Kimwenza and the parish of Divine Mercy, entrusted to the care of the Comboni missionaries since 2015, the year of its erection. On Monday, 4 March, Fr. Tesfaye visited the scholasticate of Bienheureux Isidore Bakanja, in the commune of Kintambo. During the concluding Mass, he conferred the ministries of lector and acolyte on some of the scholastics.

ITALIA

ACSE jubilee

Initiatives for the Jubilee are continuing. On 28 February a meeting was held in the Chapter Hall of the Combonis Missionaries in Via Lilio, Rome, where, in 1969, the Chapter officially decided on a commitment in favour of immigrants.

The theme of the encounter was “Health care for immigrants today”. As many as six relators took part, all doctors involved with immigrants. Pride of place was given to Doctor Giuseppe Teofili, director of the ACSE dentistry studio.

On 25 March, in the large church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, also in Rome, a shared meeting was held on the theme “A welcome that regenerates”. The speakers were Fr. Alex Zanotelli and Domenico Lucano, Mayor of Riace. Mons. Paolo Lojudice, auxiliary Bishop of Rome, and Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Immigrants, of the Italian Episcopal Conference, opened the meeting. The moderator for the event was Fr. Venanzio Milani, President of ACSE.

JPIC Workshop in Pesaro

The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) of the Italian province has held a workshop, from 18 to 20 March 2019, in Pesaro, on the theme “Seeking instruments for the analysis of the situation and the orientation of the encyclical Laudato si’ towards an ecological conversion”.

Eleven Comboni communities were represented by about twenty missionaries working in this sector. The work was facilitated by Francuccio Gesualdi, director of the “A new Model of Development Centre”, who, on the morning of the first day, outlined the key points for an understanding of the two crises in our world of today: a political-economic crisis and that regarding ecology. In the evening, Fr. Alex Zanotelli presented his sapiential reading of the signs of the times.

On the evening of 19 March, Fr. Filippo Ivardi, who had recently returned from Chad, shared his ideas on the importance of dialogue and the involvement of young Christians and Moslems in Abeché, in initiatives that promote the common good of the people in the villages.

Fr. Daniele Moschetti emphasised the importance of insertion in conflict situations such as that of South Sudan and of concern for people who are wounded, even psychologically and need support and a fresh start.

In conclusion, Fr. Claudio Zendron brought out the traumatic experience of the people of Venezuela.

On the morning of 20 March, taking as his starting point the encyclical Laudato si’, Fr. Domenico Guarino helped the participants to understand the importance of ecological conversion.

The participants greatly appreciated the workshop. For the confreres who had come recently to the province, it was an opportunity to reach a better understanding of the complexities of the reality to be taken into consideration for the mission in Italy. The participation of two postulants from the Padua community was also greatly appreciated.

MOZAMBICO

Opening of the academic year at Matola Postulancy

On 9 March the 2019 academic year was opened at the Matola Comboni postulancy. The provincial superior, Fr. António Manuel Bogaio Constantino, presided at the opening Mass, concelebrated by the confreres of the southern zone. Fr. Constantino, after listening to the requests to join the postulancy by 13 young men, welcomed them. They will now join the 15 postulants who are starting their second year.

In his homily, the provincial appealed to the postulants and all present to trust always in God, the One who satisfies us in the aridity of our lives and renews our strength; he also remarked that the call to missionary life comes from Jesus himself.

As a visible gesture of admission to the postulancy, he presented each of the new postulants with a copy of the “Educative Charter” and a Rosary with which to pray to Our Lady for vocational perseverance.

At the offertory, members of the faithful from the various parishes of Matola presented gifts of foodstuffs to meet the needs of the community of missionaries. Among those present were some former Comboni seminarians, the “Friends of Comboni” group, the “Comboni Group” from the community of Saint Josephine Bakhita and various invited guests. Before the Mass, all those present had a meeting with the formators.

After the Eucharistic celebration, the festivities continued in the garden of the seminary where all shared in a meal while entertained with music and dancing.

The present state of affairs

Cyclone Idai, with its winds of up to 220 Kph and torrential rains left behind it, in the city of Beira and its surroundings, a scene of destruction never before seen in the history of Mozambique. In a matter of hours, the city was reduced to a nightmare: ruined buildings everywhere, with hospitals and churches destroyed, trees blown down and electricity and telephone lines put out of action.

In the city of Chiveve, a blackout affected 95% of the buildings; only the local airport was spared and it became a refuge for the local people and others from aboard who came to help. The outskirts of Munhava, Muchatazina, Vaz, Chota and Ndunda, were hit by floods as well as the destruction of houses.

The only connecting road was cut by the fury of the rivers Pungue, Búzi, Muda and their tributaries which burst their banks causing havoc in the districts of Dondo, Búzi, Nhamatanda and Chibabava in the province of Sofala. Beira, too, was cut off when a dam collapsed at Dondo, causing the destruction of Estrada No. 6, a new road only recently reopened and the only means of reaching other cities. The inhabitants of Beira were left completely isolated for more than a week. Essential foodstuffs were becoming scarce and it kept on raining.

In its efforts to help, the international community decided to transfer to Beira the people of the surrounding districts; reception centres were set up for them in various places throughout the city.

The figures regarding the affected areas are still uncertain. It is known that 3,140 schoolrooms usually attended by 90,756 pupils were destroyed as well as 19,730 houses. Fatalities in the area are more than 500. The number of homeless people is not yet known.

As regards the Combonis, in Beira we work in the suburban area of Chota, where more than 70,000 people live. 270 families had their homes destroyed and 170 are urgently in need of food and essential items. Our immediate concern is to assist these families in their needs.

Secondly, we will help them to rebuild their homes, a small school and a parish youth centre: the former one was built with poor material and was completely destroyed by the cyclone. It is our wish that this centre may give hope to children, adolescents and young people. It must be a sound structure and built to last. We also want to initiate a health and nutrition education programme for mothers.

In the area of Chota, around 200 people contracted cholera and this number is expected to rise. A vaccination campaign is soon to be launched. The district is on maximum alert. Malaria is another immediate concern. Two weeks after the cyclone, stagnant water and pools have become places where the eggs of the mosquitoes that carry malaria incubate.

In the area of Muxúngue (the parish is about 350 km from Beira); the worst affected areas are those of Nhahápua, Goonda Madjaka and Gurudja through which the rivers Muda and Búzi flow. The missionaries of the area estimate that more than 120 families, with an average of six children have been affected. At the moment, the civil authorities are providing assistance. (Fr. Constantino Bogaio, Provincial Superior)

POLONIA

Meeting of Provincial Superiors of Europe

From 26 to 28 February, the Comboni circumscription superiors of Europe gathered for their annual assembly in the Polish city of Krakow. The meeting was also attended by Fr. Tomasz Marek, representing the Vicar general for Poland and Bro. Alberto Lamana, general assistant.

Among the most important points on the agenda was that of sharing on the present situation in each of the circumscriptions – Poland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the German-speaking province (DSP) and the London Province (LP) –, and a reflection on the re-qualification of the Comboni missionary presence in Europe.

The provincials assessed the situation regarding the following sectors: Formation, Mass Media, Finance, Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM), Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC), Migrants and the Europe Group for Theological Reflection (GERT). Their work consisted in:

• Analysing the programme for the first European Mission Workshop, due to take place from 1 to 6 July, in Verona, on the theme of interculturality;
• Evaluating the three possibilities presented by the commission for carrying out the so-called Comboni Work of Human Promotion in Europe in social contexts with a large influx of migrants: Camarate (Portugal), Granada (Spain) and Rome (Italy);
• Reviewing the Limone project as a Comboni space for a personal experience of contact with the Founder and the youth vocations pastoral centre, integrated into the journey from Verona to Limone and the importance of keeping it on a European level;
• Approving the proposal for a meeting of young Combonis working in Europe, centred on interculturality, to be held in Nuremberg (Germany) in September;
• Taking note of the situation regarding the website www.combonieurope.org, which is meant to serve as a common platform for the magazines, the web-pages of the provinces and Comboni youth ministry in Europe.

Two moments of special significance were a visit to the shrine of Jasna Gora (Częstochowa), to seek the intercession of the Black Madonna, and a visit to the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau.

SUD SUDAN

Assembly for Comboni Missionaries engaged in the JPIC sector

The heads of the Justice, peace and Integrity of Creation sector (JPIC) in the Anglophone (APDESAM) and Francophone (ASCAF) circumscriptions of Africa came together in an assembly held from 1 to 7 April 2019, at the Good Shepherd Peace Centre, to the south-east of Juba, in South Sudan, to reflect upon “A Catholic response to the question of Justice and Peace in an Africa of continual change”.

Ten of the thirteen circumscriptions sent representatives. Those of the Central African Republic, Eritrea and Mozambique were absent and excused. Representing the Secretary General for the Mission, Rome, was Fr. Arlindo Pinto. The moderator was Aloys Ojore, a professor at Tangaza University, Nairobi (Kenya).

In concluding the assembly, which was organised by Fr. Louis Okot, provincial superior of South Sudan and head of the APDESAM JPIC sector, in collaboration with the General Secretariat for the, the missionaries drafted a message to all the confreres working in Africa. The message ends with twelve proposals for possible steps to be taken, as Combonis, for effective reconciliation and peace and for greater social and environmental justice in the African continent. It is available on the comboni.org. website

LET US PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED DEAD

THE FATHERS: Mariano, of Fr. Rodolfo Hilaje Coaquira (NAP); José, of Fr. Joaquim José Moreira da Silva (ET).

THE MOTHER: Josefina, of Fr. José Alfonso Pérez Aritzmendi (M).

THE BROTHERS: Karl, of Bro. Friedbert Tremmel (KE); José Javier, of Fr.Vicente Luis Reig Bellver (E); Virgílio, of Bro Almeida Borges (P); José Luis, of Fr. Jerónimo Alberto Vieira da Costa (P).

THE SISTERS: Lucia, of Fr. Piergiorgio Prandina (C), María Manuela, of Fr. Daniel Villaverde (E); Maria, of Fr. Elia Ciapetti (I); Carla, of Fr. Davide Ferraboschi (EGSD).

THE COMBONI MISSIONARY SISTERS: Sr. Anna Rita Santoro, Sr. Redenzialma Beretta, Sr. M. Elena Binetti, Sr. Lia Pia Moro, Sr. María Adela Prieto Calzada, Sr. Rosalucia Vinco, Sr. Regina Assunta Zenere, Sr. Adelaide M. Muhur.

Fr. Adalberto Del Nero, a former Comboni, incardinated in the diocese of Como on 30 November 1996. He worked for some years in Ecuador. He died on 5 April at Morbegno (Sondrio, Italy).