Pastoral activities of the Comboni Lay Missionaries in the missions of Peru (2)

Once the meeting was over, as usual, to take advantage of the plane ticket, I had the opportunity to stay in the country and visit the places where we are present as CLM. The first visit was to the neighborhood of Pamplona Alta and then to the Pangoa Mission. Today I will refer to the visits to the missions of Trujillo and Arequipa.

Visit to Trujillo

After a 15-hour bus ride from Pangoa I returned to Lima where Mario (the CLM coordinator in Peru) was patiently waiting for me at the station in spite of the 3-hour delay in the trip. I took advantage of that day to share it with him at his work, to see the day to day and the many other occupations he has. That same night I took another bus to Trujillo where the CLM that live there were waiting for me.

In Trujillo I stayed with the Comboni community, where as always I felt at home. The first morning I went for a walk downtown with Fr. Alois Weiss, a German Comboni Missionary with decades of experience in Peru. It was a very pleasant time to talk and listen about the evolution of the country, the new challenges and some Comboni missionary history.

In the afternoon, after concluding the work day, the CLM picked me up and we were able to spend some time together. It was an intense weekend where I was able to visit the neighborhood in the periphery where they carry out their missionary service, the little schools, the visits to the families, the catechesis of youth and children.

We also had a good time to share what life is like in Trujillo, and how the CLM group is doing. We took time to share our experiences in Lima as well as any doubts they might have, to ask about other CLM realities in the world and so on. One of the days was dedicated to do some sightseeing, to get to know another of the many pre-Hispanic cultures that have passed through Peru and we even had another moment to visit the beach and the Totora horses.

Walking and talking was our main activity. Helping to understand our vocation, the challenges ahead and encouraging. It is always a privileged moment to accompany our CLM in the places where they are present and carry out their mission. To see first hand the realities they accompany and the affection they put into it.

Visit to Arequipa

Back to Lima where I spent a couple of days. Spending the night in a bed is always appreciated. I was also able to celebrate Mario’s birthday with the family. But soon it was time again to take another bus, this time to Arequipa where our international CLM community is located. Arequipa, in the south of the country, is about 18-20 hours away from Lima. This time I did not travel alone but I was accompanied by Rosa and Rosalia, two CLMs from Lima. This time I could stay a whole week in a row, a real luxury.

Again we stayed at the Comboni Missionaries’ house where we were very well received. Most of the time we would be with Ewelina but we also spent time with the Comboni missionaries to get to know in depth the work they do in the very large parish they are in charge of. The week in Arequipa was also quite intense. In these trips, time is always short to get to know everything.

In the first place, I would highlight the extension of the parish. We, in particular, develop our missionary service in Villa Ecológica where Ewelina and Rossie live. But in Villa we should distinguish many sectors. Villa is a newly settled neighborhood where the asphalt has been left at the gates and public transport only enters through the main avenue regularly and to reach one of its ends you must do it at rush hour or it does not compensate them, so that the rest of the day you are isolated and the only thing left is to walk.

Undoubtedly an intense week from which I bring back many images and knowledge to share with those who are preparing in the future to continue our international presence in Peru.

On the way back to Lima and after 20 hours of travel I went out to buy some handicrafts to give as gifts on my return and above all to do missionary animation in Spain. To finish the trip I had a meeting with all the CLM of Peru, those of Lima in person and those of Trujillo or Arequipa by internet, to talk about what the continental meeting has meant and to see how to continue advancing. I spent the last day with Fr. Joselín, provincial of Peru, to talk about my stay during the month, to learn more about Peru and the Comboni presence and to take a walk for a while.

A month that has flown by between meetings and trips. Now it is time to digest and pray all that I have experienced and I hope it will be of benefit to all the people with whom I have been able to share this time.

Kind regards
Alberto de la Portilla,
coordinator of the CLM Central Committee