Father Tesfaye Tadesse and Brother Alberto Lamana visiting Kenya

During the three-week official visit, Father Tesfaye and Brother Alberto met with the Combonian missionaries, both individually and as a community. It was a time of listening, communion and fraternal sharing.

The two superiors also had the opportunity to visit the missions and see at first hand the work being done there. The Comboni missionaries in Kenya serve in five different dioceses: Nairobi, Kitale, Lodwar, Marsabit and, most recently, Ngong. The services provided in the various missions, parishes and institutions include parish work, education, training of future Combonian missionaries, mission promotion, media, and the rehabilitation of vulnerable young adults. In essence, their work revolves around evangelisation and integral human development.

In their last week among us, Father Tesfaye and Brother Alberto participated in the Provincial Assembly, which took place from 19^th to 23^rd February. The assembly focused on the following theme: “50 years of Comboni Missionary presence in Kenya, in the light of the 19^th General Chapter”. The Assembly started with a half-day spiritual retreat, led by Father Tesfaye, who shared with us some interesting reflections on the ‘Synodal Church’ in the context of the Comboni Institute. After him, Father Andrew Wanjohi, Provincial Superior of Kenya, presented the state of the Province.

Dr Reginald Nalugala from Tangaza University College was invited to talk about the impact of the work of the Combonian missionaries in Kenya from the perspective of a layperson. Brother Alberto’s presentation of the current situation of the Comboni Institute, with a special focus on Anglophone Africa, was also interesting. The rest of the Assembly was devoted to reports from the various zones and secretariates.

All in all, despite the many challenges faced and discussed, a sense of gratitude prevailed during the five-day meeting, recognising the work that God is doing through the Combonian missionaries in Kenya. Thanks to the visit of Father Tesfaye and Brother Alberto, the sense of communion with the rest of the Institute was also strengthened.
Fr. Andrew Bwalya, mccj

Formation meeting and sharing with Father Tesfaye Tadesse

We had our monthly CLM-K [Comboni Lay Missionaries – Kenya] formation meeting this past weekend from Friday 16th February to Sunday 18th February. This month’s topic was “What is our Identity as Comboni Lay Missionary?” There are three aspects to look at: The spiritual approach, Comboni Charism and the Human aspect.

On the Human aspect, we learnt that Identity grows from discernment. We must all reflect on our values, what matters most, and what we stand for. It matters how you view yourself. Our identity affects the decisions we make. Making decisions without discernment causes strife, unhappiness and discontent with life. We also learnt that our environment affects our identity. In the famous words of Dr. Asfia Qaadir, “Our roots keep us grounded and help us remember what truly matters at the end of the day.”

On the Spiritual approach, we reflected on various scriptures that tell us what God thinks of us. One of my favourites is Proverbs 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Another favourite is 1st Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” If He who created us in His image and likeness thinks so highly of us, how dare we question his judgement? Our identity is in Christ and by his grace and mercy, He has made us worthy.

Lastly, on the Comboni Charism, we reflected on the life of St. Daniel Comboni. St. Daniel Comboni wrote: “We must pray instead that we may save many souls and go to heaven, not alone but with a great crowd of converts.” These and many more words of St. Daniel Comboni speak of his heart and his identity. He made so many sacrifices, travelling back and forth through the desert, the suffering he endured: tropical diseases, hunger, poverty, language barrier, opposition and more. Yet, he did not give up. Ordained as a priest at the young age of 23 years, he went ahead to become a Bishop and later formed the Comboni sisters who helped him with his missionary work in Khartoum, South Sudan. St. Daniel Comboni gave up his life in service to the poor and most abandoned until his death. Every single morning, he lived for the glory of God. This was his identity. As CLM-K, we must fashion our lives to match the great example set for us by our founder. “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1st Corinthians 10:31.

This weekend was also quite special for us. On Sunday we had a visit and seat down with MCCJ General Fr. Tesfaye and his Assistant Brother Alberto. They were accompanied by Fr. Juanma and Fr. Christopher. It was so lovely sharing further on the topic of identity with them. What made it more special is their experience over the years. Their sharing spoke of the goodness of the Lord. We are so thankful to you General Fr. Tesfaye, Brother Alberto, Fr. Juanma, and Fr. Chris for making the time to meet with us.

On a final note, we wish to thank all Comboni Priests stationed at Holy Trinity Catholic Parish Kariobangi for hosting us for dinner on Saturday evening. We would also like to wish our MCCJ province well during their annual assembly that began Monday 19th February and will run through Friday 23rd February.

1st Peter 1:3-5, St. Peter wrote to the Christians saying: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, which is kept in heaven for us. This Lenten season, reflect on the suffering of our Lord and be filled with hope knowing that Christ will rise from the dead and in him we have been made new.

Warm regards,
Cecilia Nyamu, Comboni Lay Missionary – Kenya