Peru hosts the V Continental Assembly of the Comboni Lay Missionaries

The Assembly began with the report of the American committee, then the report of the work done by the central committee and the international reality, at the end each country presented the report of the CLM in the American context.

The closing of the day was in charge of the culture in the best Latin style, the different nuances of the gastronomy, the typical costumes, the history of the communities were not made to wait, filling the room with an atmosphere of emotion charged with wisdom, admiration, laughter and a history made tradition with the people where the CLMs are permanently present.

“United for a synodal Church at the service of the mission”

Motivated by knowing the different experiences of each country and looking for a common response in our lights and shadows, we reflected that the path is the same, but with different nuances. Walking, listening and being ourselves, allows the CLM to deepen the sense of openness with the farthest, the forgotten, the needy, questioning the reality of being CLM.

Juan Goicochea MCCJ; he places us in the time that our church is in, of listening, where social and ecclesial challenges for Latin America and the Caribbean are presented to us; it is also the time to open our arms and embrace the world. It is necessary to wake up to this global reality, in order to have concrete reasons at the local level. If we continue with individual thinking, concrete actions cannot be taken.

The evening complemented the themes of the day with the missionary experience of Rossie (American CLM) and Ewelina (Polish CLM), two young people with permanent missionary presence in Arequipa, who every morning support a cradle with 5 year old children and in the afternoons they support the parish together with the community, they have been a true testimony of missionary service by the style of community life they lead, supported by daily prayer and excellent communication that allows them to be a true missionary witness in the community.

What are we going to do from the American continent, so that the Comboni Lay Missionary Family can visualize their mission fields ad gentes and inter gentes.

Miriam Herrador
LMC Guatemala