Familia Comboniana 837 - February 2025

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

Ordinations

Holy Redeemer Guild

February          01 – 15 C             16 – 28 EGSD

March              01 – 07 CO          08 – 15 E                16 – 31 DSP

Prayer Intentions

February – We pray you, Lord, that in the face of the looming and frightening threat of human trafficking, we may increasingly be, together with you, defenders of life, promoters of dignity and facilitators of freedom. Lord hear us.

March – That Saint Joseph, guardian of the Holy Family, may help all the members of our Institutes to share all that they are and have, even if apparently insignificant, and may ensure that, following his example, we may give the best of ourselves and our very lives in the service of the plan of salvation of God the Father for the regeneration of all peoples. Lord hear us.

Comboni Liturgical Calendar

FEBRUARY

Significant anniversaries

FEBRUARY

MARCH

Specialisations

Doctorate: Father Abraham Hailu Woldu

On 15^th November 2024, Father Abraham Hailu Woldu was awarded a research doctorate in ‘Social Transformation’, specialising in ‘Sustainable Peace and Security’, by Tangaza University, Nairobi, Kenya, presenting and defending the thesis entitled Dialogue between Christians and Moslems for sustainable peace and development in the Oromia region of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2022.

Father Abraham thanks his home province, Ethiopia, and the General Council for funding his studies. He is currently a member of the South Sudan Province and works in northern Uganda, with South Sudanese refugees in the settlement of Palorinya.

ESPAÑA

Mundo Negro Fraternity Award 2024

Luc Ndeloua, President of the Abowani Association, and Timothée Emini, responsible for legal and political affairs of the Okani Association, received the ‘Mundo Negro Award for Fraternity 2024’, during the XXXVII Africa Meeting, which reflected on the theme ‘The First – Indigenous Peoples of Africa Today’. The Abowani and Okani associations work with the Baka people in Cameroon.

The first day of the Meeting – 1^st February – was held in the Exhibition Hall of the provincial headquarters of the Comboni Missionaries in Madrid. After the presentation by the director of the Mundo Negro magazine, Father Enrique Bayo Mata, there was a space for reflection with the conference ‘Indigenous Peoples and Communities in Africa. Reality and future prospects’, by Prof. María del Ángel Iglesias Vázquez, principal researcher of the Research Group and relevance of the status and condition of the indigenous people, of the International University of La Rioja (UNIR).

Afterwards, Chema Caballero, collaborator of Mundo Negro and author of the book Edjengui se ha dormido. From victimism to activism by the Baka pygmies, spoke with the two winners to learn about the reality of the Baka people and the work that the Abowani and Okani associations do. The award was presented by the provincial superior, Father Miguel Ángel Llamazares. The Meeting was broadcast live by the Mundo Negro channel on YouTube.

On Sunday, 2^nd February, at 11:00, the Meeting concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist in the parish of the Santissima Trinità, in which the parish choir Satri and the choir Karibu participated.

ETHIOPIA

Timket Celebration in Hawassa

The Solemnity of the Baptism of Jesus (Timket in Amharic) is one of the most important feasts of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is celebrated every year on January 19 (or 20, in leap years), which corresponds to the eleventh day of the month of Terr in the Ge’ez calendar. On this solemn day, thousands of Orthodox believers gather in their churches to commemorate this great moment in the life of Jesus.

Many Catholics also participate, not only for the solemn Sunday ceremony, always extremely rich in colour, but also in the great procession held on the vigil, to pray with their Orthodox brothers and sisters and express their communion with them.

Timket is one of the events in which Father Juan Antonio González Núñez, Apostolic Administrator of the Catholic Vicariate of Hawassa, has always participated with deep devotion. This year was no exception, and I am convinced that he was particularly concerned about it because on November 15th Pope Francis appointed Msgr. Gobezayehu Getachew Yilma as Apostolic Vicar of the Vicariate of Hawassa, and in the coming weeks he will replace Father Núñez, who has already resigned from the post having reached the age limit.

As he had already done last year, he again invited me to accompany him this year. I needed no further invitation. Furthermore, the date was very significant: that day, for the Catholic Church, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity began.

When we arrived at the Orthodox cathedral, the bishop and some priests welcomed us warmly, calling us by name, demonstrating the brotherhood and friendship that exists between us and between the two Churches.

At the beginning of Saturday’s ceremony, the tabot (a replica of the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Ten Commandments) was covered with a coloured cloth and then carried by the priests to a nearby water source. Accompanying the tabot were several thousand people, all dressed in white, singing hymns and spiritual songs, punctuated by the roll of drums, the sound of harps and clapping.

When we reached a large pool of water near the cathedral, the master of ceremonies introduced Father Juan and me to the entire assembly and thanked God for having wanted to enrich the rite with an ecumenical presence. The bishop also began his speech by emphasising the significance of the Catholic presence. Then he dismissed everyone, inviting them not to miss the next day when the water would be blessed and sprinkled abundantly – literally in bucketfuls! – on the people.

The purpose of this rite is clear: Christians must not only celebrate the baptism of Jesus but also remember their own baptism, through which they were reborn in the Holy Spirit. This celebration is so unique that UNESCO has recognised it as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

On our way home, Father Juan said to me: “Despite the growing influence of Islam and the evangelical churches in Ethiopia, the Orthodox Church remains strong as a Christian presence. We must recognise this merit. I pray that the Orthodox of this country will always remain faithful to their faith, witnessing to everyone their great love for God.” (Father Pedro Pablo Hernández, mccj).

ITALIA

Brescia community prepares to take part in the Laudato Si’ Platform

On Monday, 20^th January 2025, accompanied by Father Fernando Zolli, the provincial head of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of the Italian province, we met as a community for an ‘ecological day’ of reflection and sharing.

In the morning, after a brief introduction, a moment of personal reflection was proposed in the light of Psalm 104: a hymn to the greatness and beauty of creation. Afterwards, group work was organised for a journey of ecological conversion, around these five areas: climate crisis, the precious good of water, food consumption, our consumption, our shared future.

In the afternoon, after the presentation of the summaries of the morning’s work, Father Fernando offered us some traces of ecological spirituality. Ecological conversion is not a technical question but an ethical one: it requires that we see creation through the eyes of faith.

Faith motivates us: motivations are drawn from the Word. Since the story of creation, the Word tells us that God saw that everything was good. The beauty of creation has repeatedly been discovered. There is, therefore, a need for a contemplative eye.

The community of Brescia is willing to let itself be carried away by a spirit of renewal. Challenges, in fact, are not obstacles but moments of growth that require courage and goodwill.

In this year 2025, in which we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’ as pilgrims of hope, the community undertakes the commitment to join the Laudato Si’ Initiatives Platform, proposed by Pope Francis, with an ecological project, attentive to the cry of the earth and the poor.

It is committed to formulating the community project of integral ecology, enhancing what is already being done; contacting other movements and associations in the area for a structured path, done in synergy; taking care of the Laudato Si’ Garden, in the green area of our house; becoming animators of ecological spirituality, inviting friends and benefactors to moments of meeting and prayer, information and training.

A working team has been created – Father Mario Fugazza, Father Eugenio Nordjoe, and Father Tiziano Laurenti – who will prepare a draft of the ecological project by April 20, 2025, Easter Sunday. (Father Girolamo Miante, mccj, and Father Fernando Zolli, mccj)

MEXICO

Brother Arsenio Ferrari dies at the age of 103

Our dear Brother Arsenio Ferrari – a great Comboni missionary and pioneer of Baja California, Mexico – has left us for the House of the Father. He had recently turned 103 and was in the Comboni community of Oasis San Daniel Comboni in Zapopan, Guadalajara, where he received, until the end, all the attention that a veteran missionary like him deserved. He was the only survivor of the first Comboni missionaries who arrived in Mexico, more precisely in Baja California, in 1948. With his death, a stage in the history of our Institute closes and, above all, a stage in the history of the Comboni missionaries in Mexico.

Of Italian origin, Brother Arsenio dedicated his life to the evangelisation of these lands, especially of children and young people, using sports as the main means of attraction. As Father Enrique Sánchez said in the thanksgiving mass for his hundredth birthday on 18^th December 2021, “Brother Arsenio was – and continues to be – a blessing for the mission and for the Institute. His presence among us alone is a reason for thanksgiving and a testimony for the many years he spent dedicating himself to others.” And he is a blessing even now that he has left us. He is no longer among us, but from heaven he will continue to intercede for the people he loved so much.

Priestly ordination of Felipe de Jesús

On 18^th January 2025, Felipe de Jesús Vázquez Hernández celebrated his priestly ordination, surrounded by family and friends, in La Guásima, a town in Papantla, in the state of Veracruz, where he is from. The celebration was presided over by Msgr. José Trinidad Zapata Ortiz, Bishop of the diocese of Papantla, and with the participation of the Comboni family, was a moment that we will all keep in our memories and hearts, without forgetting the importance that day had for Felipe.

Knowing that the new priest’s destination is South Africa, the bishop told him: “You must have a broad vision. As a Comboni missionary in any part of the world, you must be a servant of Jesus’ flock and you must take care of it.” He then emphasised: “You must not forget to take care of yourself as well.”

The people wanted to make this ordination their own and showed it by introducing all the cultural and spiritual elements of the region, proud of their Totonaca roots (the indigenous people), with their language, their dances, their customs and their rituals. The people of ‘La Guásima’ proudly hand over one of their sons to the mission and are grateful to God.

It was a celebration for everyone: for the parents, for his brothers, for the diocese and for the Combonians. Felipe was very grateful, knowing that behind him he had so many people supporting him in his missionary vocation. (Brother Raúl Cervantes)

Father Manuel Casillas Hernández celebrates fifty years of priesthood

On 25^th January, Fr. Manuel Casillas Hernández celebrated a thanksgiving mass for his 50 years of priesthood in his parish of Cristo de la Salud in León, Guanajuato, surrounded by family, friends, diocesan priests and a group of confreres who wanted to be close to him on such a special day.

Fr. Manuel was born in León on 29^th May 1945. He made his first vows on 9^th September 1968 and was ordained a priest on 14^th July 1974. He spent the first seven years of his missionary ministry in Mexico, accompanying the young seminarians. In 1981 he was assigned to South Africa, where he spent twenty years, in different periods. From 1987 to 1991 he was provincial superior in Mexico; from 1991 to 1998 he was general assistant of the Institute in Rome.

He currently works in Ireland, where he devotes himself to missionary animation. Due to problems with the documents relating to his residence permit, he had to postpone the celebration of his priestly anniversary until now. However, the ceremony was marked by joy and gratitude to God and to the many people who supported him and who collaborated so that the celebration was truly the sharing of a feeling of gratitude for the many gifts received in these 50 years. Now Fr. Manuel, with his documents in order, can enjoy a well-deserved rest, while he prepares to return to Ireland, where he will continue to proclaim the Gospel and make missionary work known to the Irish people.

PCA

Priestly ordination in Guatemala

On Saturday, 18^th January 2025, the Comboni Missionaries of the Province of Central America joyfully celebrated the priestly ordination of our Guatemalan confrere Mynor Rolando Chávez Ixchacchal. The liturgy was presided over by Comboni Missionary Msgr. Vittorino Girardi, Bishop Emeritus of Tilarán-Liberia (Costa Rica), in the beautiful church of the parish of Jesús Obrero Buen Pastor, in Colonia El Milagro in Zone 6 of Mixco, near Guatemala City. All the Comboni communities of the province were present, as well as the parish priest and the faithful of the parish, several friends of Father Mynor who came from Costa Rica, where he carried out his diaconal ministry, the Comboni Lay Missionaries and many of his relatives. In his homily, Msgr. Girardi reminded Mynor of his duty to configure himself to Christ at all times and to make common cause with those peoples to whom he will be sent. He insisted on the need to entrust oneself fully to the Lord who chose and sent him and to serenely accept the weaknesses that, according to his promise, will be filled by the merciful action of God, especially in the celebration of the Eucharist and Reconciliation. During the week preceding the ordination, we celebrated the Eucharist in almost all the communities of the parish, where we had the opportunity to hold moments of missionary animation and vocational promotion.

On Sunday, 19^th January, in the same church where he was ordained, Father Mynor celebrated his first mass. This celebration was also attended by the parishioners, his family and the Combonians of the province. Father Mynor chose to entrust the homily to Father Byron Valverde, who, starting from the Gospel of the wedding at Cana, exhorted him to live his priesthood with the same availability as the Virgin Mary, doing what the Master asks of him, at every moment and in all the circumstances of his missionary consecration.

Father Mynor has been assigned to the Comboni Province of Ethiopia, where he will go as soon as he has prepared the necessary documents. May St. Daniel Comboni and the Comboni saints of all times intercede for him before the Lord of the Harvest that He may grant him wisdom and fidelity. May his ordination renew our missionary commitment as a Comboni Province and may the testimony of his self-giving inspire numerous vocations for the entire Guatemalan Church, as he himself has asked of his parish community. (Father Carlos Humberto Rodríguez, mccj)

PORTUGAL

Sunday of the Nations

‘The first Sunday of the Nations’ was held on 19^th January at the Comboni headquarters in Jardim de Cima/Santarém. The city area of the diocese of Santarém has decided to organise a Sunday of the Nations every third Sunday of the month in the Jubilee Year of 2025. The program of each of these Sundays will consist of the celebration of a Eucharist with the immigrants who live in the region, followed by a fraternal meeting with the sharing of gastronomic specialties from different countries.

The evaluation of the first celebration of this Sunday of the Nations is very positive and promising. There was interest, availability and a spirit of fraternal service in the various families who participated in the event. This is a good missionary animation initiative that will help the Christians of the diocese to live more deeply the spirit of the Jubilee Year, which invites us to be ‘pilgrims of hope’, guided by the light that is Jesus.

For the organising committee – says Father Carlos Alberto Nunes – “this activity also aims to facilitate the integration of the different peoples and cultures that live in the territory of Santarém. We begin by appreciating and sharing the many gifts that we all possess. This is undoubtedly a new way of doing mission in this diocese, but also in the new context that is being experienced throughout Europe.”

“Only in this way – comments Father Carlos Nunes – will we be followers of Jesus, witnessing and proclaiming that we are part of a single family of God and a single human society, based on good coexistence, peace, justice and love. To this end, we already have an intercultural choir, which is consolidating, and many people willing to serve with joy and collaborate in the renewal of communities and the Church.”

The next Sunday of Nations will be on 16^th February. “Come and see! Join us,” concludes Father Carlos Nunes, for whom this is the mission that we all must fulfil today.

CHAD

Assembly of the Delegation

As per tradition, in the first week of January, the Comboni missionaries of Chad gathered in assembly in N’Djamena. In the same week, Brother Kakule Wasingya Bienfait, of the community of N’Djamena, completed his studies at CEFOD, discussing a thesis on microfinance. Alf mabrouk (congratulations), Bienfait!

The assembly is an important and significant event in the life of the delegation. The theme ‘Missionary Identity’ was the backdrop to the work.

The brothers of all the communities participated, contributing to the sharing of ideas, experiences and difficulties. The beautiful thing – and what gives hope – is the presence of new confreres: one, ‘old’ from the mission in Chad; and others who are young.

Father Renzo Piazza, in the ongoing formation session, developed the theme of missionary identity. It was an interesting and enriching presentation that allowed us to reflect, personally and in working groups, on this theme that is so significant for the life of each of us. In the following days, various activities helped us to listen to each other and share the various situations of our missions. An interesting picture emerged, with the current problem of an overload of work and too many commitments in proportion to personnel. The Comboni mission in Chad fully responds to what the Institute and the local Church expect from us in the various ministries (missionary animation, basic and ongoing formation, evangelisation, formation of communities and leaders, interreligious dialogue, JPIC ...).

It seems to me that, from listening to each other about the various realities in which we are present, the commitment, the passion, the closeness of each of us to the people, to the youth, have clearly emerged; in a word, our making ourselves neighbours and giving hope, even if the socio-political framework of the country is difficult.

Making an appointment for the next assembly, we returned to our communities enriched with many beautiful and inspiring ideas, strengthened spiritually (this year we will all participate in the annual retreat), ready and eager to serve the Lord of Life to the best of the human and spiritual capacity of each one. (Brother Enrico Gonzales, mccj)

SOUTH SUDAN

Centenary of the Faith in Ngboko

In 1924, the Combonian missionary Giacomo Gübert (born in Fiera di Primiero-TN in 1886, ordained a priest in 1904 and died in Cairo on 14^th January 1959), founded a mission in Ngboko, in the county of Ri Yubu, on the border with the Central African Republic, not far from the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the demarcation line between the French and the British during the colonial era. The way in which the parish came into being was curious.

In 1923, the French present in Central Africa hired some Azande soldiers who lived in territory under British rule, to go to their area and help them quell some local rebellions. Upon their return, these soldiers began to show clear symptoms of sleeping sickness contracted during their expedition, and the British colonialists thought it best to keep them in prolonged forced isolation in a location near the border.

To ensure that the sick received adequate care, the Combonians sent Father Gübert. He stayed for a while as a ‘nurse’, but then he also began to work as an evangeliser. A catechumenate was born and on December 8, 1924 the first baptisms were administered. The parish was called ‘Ave Maria’ and fell within what was then the Combonian Circumscription of Bahr el Ghazal. The mission of ‘Ave Maria’ is now managed by the Community of the Missionaries of St. Paul (MCSPA).

On 5^th December 2023, the celebrations for the Centenary of the Faith began in the parish of Ngboko. On 8^th December, the parish church ‘Ave Maria’, recently completely renovated, was reconsecrated. Msgr. Edward Hiiboro Kussala, bishop of the diocese of Tombura-Yambio, was invited to preside over the ceremony. Also present were the parish priest of the parish of Obbo (Central African Republic), the parish priest of the mission of Lobur, Father Joseph, superior of the MCSPA, numerous missionaries and diocesan priests, religious men and women and many Christians who came from every part of the diocese.

The various celebrations of the Centenary concluded on 8^th December 2024, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, with the participation of the provincial superior of the Combonians, Father Gregor Schmidt, in the presence of over ten thousand people from the various villages of the region.

The lightheartedness and exuberant joy of such celebrations are unfortunately an exception in South Sudan today. Even in the county of Ri Yubu, armed clashes are still ongoing. But, overcoming fear, it was decided not to postpone the closing celebration, but to offer the local population a new and clear sign that the Gospel brings reconciliation and peace. Many speeches were made, and in all of them the recognition that Jesus is truly the messenger of peace for the South Sudanese resounded like a refrain.

Over time, the Comboni missionaries have given up all the missions they founded in the areas now included in the diocese of Tombura-Yambio (in the State of Western Equatoria), but they are still remembered with gratitude for having brought the Christian faith there in that distant 1923. (Father Gregor Bog-Dong Schmidt, mccj)

TOGO-GHANA-BENIN

A Year that ended well

At the end of 2024, the Comboni Missionaries of the Province, as well as the local Churches of the Archdioceses of Cotonou and Lomé and the Diocese of Keta-Akatsi, joyfully witnessed three great events.

1. Priestly Ordination in Lomé – On 21^st December 2024, in the parish church of the Risen Christ in Hedranawoe (Togo), in front of a huge crowd of relatives, friends, priests, men and women religious, faithful from different parishes, 26 deacons were ordained priests by the imposition of hands by Bishop Isaac-Jogues Agbemenya Gaglo, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Lomé. Of these 26, 22 were from the Archdiocese and 4 were Comboni Missionaries.

In his homily, Archbishop Gaglo drew the attention of the ordinands to three essential dimensions of the life of the priest: what he is, what he does, and what he lives. The being of the priest is a mystery because he carries within himself the one he represents, Christ. The administrator quoted the phrase of the holy Curé of Ars: “The priest is something great because he can give God to men and men to God.” The priest – he continued – “lives moments of solitude, joy and sadness. With humility and a great spirit of openness, he can learn from the faithful who, in some areas, could be much more fervent and committed than he is. He does not command like a master, but works and guides the people of God entrusted to him.”

2. Perpetual vows in Fidjrossè – on Sunday, 22^nd December 2024, in the parish church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Fidjrossè, in the archdiocese of Cotonou (Benin), the perpetual profession of the scholastic Constantin Dangninou took place. The ceremony was presided over by the provincial superior, Father Timothée Hounaké Kouassi, who, after expressing appreciation for the efforts made by Constantin to respond to the call received from God, highlighted the gratuitousness of God’s love that comes to man, giving him confidence. He then invited the faithful and relatives to pray for Constantin and to support him so that he may make his life a total gift to the Lord forever.

3. Diaconal and Priestly Ordinations in Akatsi – On Saturday, 28^th December 2024, all roads led to the Cathedral of Christ the King, in Akatsi (Ghana), in the Diocese of Keta-Akatsi, for the diaconal ordination of two acolytes, one diocesan and one Comboni, and the priestly ordination of the Comboni deacon Augustine Awudi. Bringing together faithful, priests, men and women religious from Ghana, Togo and Benin, the celebration began with the solemn opening of the cathedral door, thus marking the beginning of the Jubilee Year in the local Church, responding to the invitation of Pope Francis, who placed the Jubilee Year under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”. The bishop of the diocese, Msgr. Gabriel Edoe Kumordji, SVD, during his homily, insisted on the importance of celebrating the Jubilee Year, inviting everyone of the faithful to make the effort to go on pilgrimage to the ‘places chosen’ by the diocese, adding: “Those who can go to Rome, let them do so.” Then addressing the ordinands, he invited them to exercise assiduously their role in the Church and to imitate Christ, with diligence, in all aspects of life. The celebration saw the much-appreciated participation of the bishop emeritus of the diocese, Msgr. Anthony Kwame Adanuty.

LET US PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED DEAD

THE BROTHERS: Carlos, of Father Francisco Gómez Uribe (M); Giusto, of Father Luciano Benetazzo (I) and Father Stelvio Benetazzo (†).

THE SISTER: Zulmira, of Brother António Martins da Costa (†).