News of the Comboni Missionaries in Lebanon and Sudan

One remark made by Father Angelo struck a chord with the scholastics: “If the Church is under the scrutiny of public opinion today because of her errors against chastity, in the future she will most likely have to account for how she has lived poverty.”

Among the issues addressed, emphasis was placed on the nature of the Total Common Fund and the need to find and administer human and economic resources in each province where we are present. This formative moment was certainly much appreciated and remains an experience to be encouraged and repeated.

El Obeid – Responding to health needs

Since the war began in April 2023, life in Sudan has become much more complicated, especially with regard to healthcare. The lack of food and the ever-increasing cost of living have made everything more difficult. In response to this, some young people from the parish, who are health professionals, came up with a project to help the community. The aim is to provide basic medical check-ups and share some medical knowledge to alleviate some of the daily suffering. The project also addresses the trauma that many children have suffered through exposure to violence and often the loss of loved ones due to war. Many families have left their homes and sought refuge in the parish. This initiative is a clear example of the resilience of the Sudanese people and their solidarity – two qualities that stand out in such difficult times. (Father Mina Alber, mccj)

Pastoral life in Kosti in time of war

The Kosti community is located in the pastoral region of Kosti, 360 km south of Khartoum, the capital. The community has consisted of two confreres since January 2023. The current situation is very fluid. However, we can compare it to Noah’s generation in the Old Testament, when people were marrying, doing business, farming, planning for the future, while others were fighting and moaning.

As for security, so far, the situation seems under control, apart from May and June, when we were visited by two drones that targeted the military base. The first killed one person; the second was intercepted by the army. Naturally, these two incidents created panic among the population. Even in the present, gunshots are often heard during the nights, but it seems that people have got used to it, or are prepared for whatever happens.

In May and June, the municipality of Kosti saw an influx of people from rural areas. There are various reasons for this: lack of security, shortage of food, lack of work. Moreover, with the onset of the rains, many people prefer to come to the city. Unfortunately, given their increasing numbers, many are staying outdoors.

The number of our faithful has somewhat decreased. Those who have remained are mostly young girls between the ages of 10 and 20, and a few adults. (The boys fear being recruited by the warring parties, and many of them have moved to South Sudan). However, in spite of everything, we continue with our normal pastoral work: catechism, childcare, youth group, celebration of the Holy Eucharist every Sunday or during the week in the two chapels we currently have. In addition, we take care of the neighbouring parish of Rabak, where currently there are no priests.