Familia Comboniana 839 - April 2025

HAPPY EASTER 2025

GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

GENERAL NOTES OF THE 34^TH GENERAL CONSULTA (27.3.2025)

Appointment of the Assistant General

On 11^th March 2025, in accordance with the provisions of the Rule of Life (157.4), the General Council chose Father Austine Radol Odhiambo as the new General Assistant, replacing Father Luigi Fernando Codianni. His appointment will take effect on 1^st April 2025 and will last until the end of the mandate of the current administration, that is, the day of the convocation of the XX General Chapter in 2028. The Council expresses its full gratitude to Father Radol for his willingness to take on this role.

Joining the Laudato Si’ Initiatives Platform (PILS)

The General Council has decided to join the ‘Laudato Si’ Initiatives Platform’ (PILS) at the Institute level, following the Chapter Decision 30.1. It asks the Secretary General of the Mission to implement the decision and to present an annual plan of initiatives and evaluation. The Secretary General of the Mission will publish a detailed letter on the implications of this membership to encourage circumscriptions and communities to join.

Comboni Renewal Course – 50^th edition

The general council and the coordinators of the ongoing formation courses in Rome confirm that the Comboni Renewal Course (CCR) – aimed in particular at confreres aged 50 to 70, especially if they are celebrating a particular anniversary of consecration and/or ordination – will be held from January to May 2026. The course intends, on the one hand, to offer the missionary help for a global renewal – physical, psychological, spiritual, community and apostolic – of his person, for growth in personal integration and a greater awareness of the existential moment he is living, in a deeper relationship with God, with himself, with Saint Daniel Comboni and with the community; on the other hand, it also aims to deepen the challenges of today’s mission for a more conscious, free and responsible response to one’s Comboni vocation. The course will begin on 7^th January 2026 and will end in the month of May (a pilgrimage to the Holy Land will also be considered, if the situation allows). Confreres who need to study Italian are asked to communicate this to the coordinator of the Ongoing Formation Center, Father Alberto de Oliveira Silva, in order to agree on dates and methods. Confreres who will need a visa for Israel must arrive at the end of November, to begin the procedures for staying in Italy, in order to be able to request a visa from the Israeli embassy. Confreres who wish to participate in the course are invited to speak with their circumscription superiors and send their application in writing to Father Alberto de Oliveira Silva by e-mail: ccfpmccj@comboni.org or albatrosilva55@gmail.com.

Maia Formative Community (Portugal)

The general council – taking into account the formative reality of the institute and especially the availability of places in the scholasticates – after discernment has decided to open the formative community of Maia (Portugal) starting from 1^st September 2025. While we thank the province of Portugal for having welcomed this community, we ask the confreres of the Institute to accompany this new opening with prayer.

The next ordinary consultas

The next ordinary consultas will take place as follows:

• June Consulta, from 6^th to 20^th June 2025;
• October Consulta, from 6^th to 31^st October 2025.

The General Council asks all Circumscription Superiors to note these dates in their diaries so that they can organise their Circumscription Councils soon enough to send in the respective minutes before the beginning of the Consulta.

Ordinations

Holy Redeemer Guild

April:   01 – 15 CN           16 – 30 EC
May:     01 – 15 ET           16 – 31 I

Prayer intentions

April – For all the countries of the world, especially those where we are present as a Comboni family, so that we may always seek the common good and motivate Christians to social and political commitment. Lord hear us.

May – Let us pray to the Lord for the prophets of the Gospel of our time who, scattered throughout the world, make visible his Kingdom of justice and peace: may their testimony challenge our lives and renew our missionary commitment. Lord hear us.

Comboni liturgical calendar

MAY

Meaningful anniversaries

APRIL

MAGGIO

Publications

Giuseppe Caramazza, The Gospel of Social Transformation – Faith, Justice, and the Path to a Renewed Society, edited by the Triveneto Faculty of Theology – Padova, 2025, pp. 170. Father Giuseppe has a Masters in Missiology (from the Chicago CTU) and a doctorate in Religious Studies (from the Nairobi CUEA). He is a Comboni Missionary and has worked in Kenya especially in the world of the media, the world of politics and in teaching at Tangaza University, Nairobi. He is now in the Padua community and collaborates with the Triveneto Faculty of Theology (Padua).

The book presents Jesus of Nazareth as one of the most complex and often misunderstood people in history. To recover the historical Jesus, we must examine history by combining the results of many independent investigations. This forms a new image of Galilee at the beginning of the first century of our era and leads to a reassessment of our understanding of Jesus’ message. There is no doubt that one of Jesus’ goals was to propose an alternative society. He referred to this society as the ‘Lordship of God’ in the world. His action was, therefore, oriented towards a transformation of society that was based on the profound change of the human being.

The book focuses on the fact that Jesus proclaimed a gospel of social transformation and wanted his disciples to be social transformers. The social dimension of the gospel is emphasised in recent papal documents. Today, in an age of global consciousness, Jesus’ disciples are called to translate the gospel of social transformation into political and financial choices that go beyond their local scope. Real social transformation will have to be addressed at the local level, but above all at the international level. The North-South divide, the ongoing experience of financial, cultural and political colonisation, and other forms of isolation of large groups of people, require a concerted effort by all people of good will. Only in this way will the gospel of social transformation come to life for the people of our time.
Downloadable from the Internet: TTP-Theology-08-The-gospel-of-social-transformation_Giuseppe-Caramazza.pdf

Father Metin Sèdoté Alex Canisius, mccj, originally from Benin and now in Kinshasa-Kingabwa (DR Congo) at the Centre Afriquespoir, was ordained in December 2012. After having ministered in the province of TBG (2013-2022), he went to Rome, to the generalate for a Master in Social Sciences, specialising in Communications, at the Gregorian University. In 2024, he presented his thesis, Communication and Culture of the Encounter of Le Akɔmimlan, ferment de cohésion sociale chez les fɔns d’Abomey (Bénin). On the instructions of his thesis director, Father Dr Alejo Albert, SJ, Father Metin wrote his thesis in the form of a research article which he submitted to the Revue Internationale du Chercheur, based in Morocco and linked to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. To his great satisfaction, the new text appeared in the February 2025 issue of the magazine (Volume 6: No. 1 – 2025, pp: 670-700). Here is an extract:

In today’s social context, characterised by indifference, polarisation and extremism, research on communicative practices known for their ability to create social cohesion could contribute to promoting a communicative style that facilitates the “culture of encounter”. To this end, this research is committed to studying the communicative characteristics of Akɔmimlan (a panegyric of the Fɔn clan of the Republic of Benin), known for its ability to establish social cohesion. The results of the research reveal that the specific verbal and non-verbal content of the practice and its particular style, based on recognition and valorisation, favour the identification and socialisation of members and integration into the social group. From the analysis, some communicative characteristics can be deduced that are suitable for promoting effective encounters.

Here is the link to download the article published in French: ‘‘Communication and Encounter’s Culture’’ in the cultural practice of Akɔmimlan (Fɔn clan’s panegyric) of the Republic of Benin | Revue Internationale du Chercheur (revuechercheur.com)

Tonino Falaguasta Nyabenda, Christians and Muslims – Dialogue in the truth, 2025, 80 pages. This booklet has reached its fifth edition, which addresses the issue of Islamic-Christian dialogue in a simple and brief manner. Three short chapters added to the 4^th edition: “Working for human brotherhood”, “The earth, our common home”, “Dialogue looking from the other”. To download the 2023 edition: https://comboni2000.org/2023/05/08/falaguasta-cristiani-e-musulmani-dialogo-nella -verita-1/ [and -2/].

CONGO

Priestly ordinations in Butembo

This year, the annual priestly ordinations in the diocese of Butembo-Beni had a truly solemn tone. Not only was the group of ordinands extremely large (23 diocesan deacons and 2 Combonians, Muyisa Kapitula and Mapenzi Kahongya), but the diocesan Church decided to celebrate them in the context of the memory of the first two bishops of the diocese, Mgr. Henri Joseph Piérard (1893-1975) and Mgr. Emmanuel Kataliko (1958-2000).

Mgr. Piérard, a Belgian Assumptionist, was the first bishop of this local Church from 1938 to 1966, and is today considered the founding father of the diocese. He also founded two religious congregations: the Brothers of the Assumption in 1952 and the Little Sisters of the Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple in 1948. After resigning on 27^th April 1973, he died on 5^th March 1975. The current bishop of Butembo-Beni, Mgr. Sikuli Paluku Melchisédech, chose to celebrate this year’s priestly ordinations close to the 50th anniversary of his heavenly birth.

Mgr. Kataliko was the second bishop of the diocese, but the first native of the place. Born in 1932, he led the diocese of Butembo-Beni from 1966 to 1997 when he was transferred to Bukavu to succeed Mgr. Christophe Munzihirwa who was assassinated in 1996, and remained Archbishop of Bukavu until his death in 2000. Known for his commitment to peace and justice in the DR Congo and a defender of human rights, Msgr. Kataliko courageously denounced the violence, massacres and injustices perpetrated against the civilian population, in particular by armed groups and foreign occupation forces supported by Rwanda. Forced into exile in 1990, he was able to return to his diocese only in January 2000, but died a few months later, in October of the same year, in circumstances that remain unclear. His commitment marked the history of the Church of Butembo-Beni and his memory remains alive in the collective memory. The climate of war in which this year's ordinations took place brought to mind by all those present the conditions in which he died. Significant was the choice of Archbishop Sikuli to ordain the 25 deacons in two different ceremonies in two different places: 17 (including the two Combonians) in Butembo on 27^th February, and 6^th on March 2 in Beni, where Archbishop Piérard had started the diocese of Beni which later became Butembo-Beni with the appointment of Archbishop Kataliko.

The two celebrations took place in a spirit of hope, but also in a climate of insecurity due to the threat of the rebel group M23, which at the end of January had taken over the city of Goma, capital of North Kivu (which includes the diocese of Butembo-Beni), and the city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu, on 14^th February. Everyone expected the rebels to move north, towards Butembo, a city with a strategic position and commercial centre of the region. However, as Bishop Sikuli said, “God has visited us and granted us peace,” thanks to the many prayers raised throughout the world for this diocese.

From 17^th to 23^rd February, the ordinands had a spiritual retreat, on the theme ‘Being a priest according to the heart of God’, in Musimba, on the outskirts of Butembo, in the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where the 17 priests of the first group were ordained.

Who knows if those present were able to grasp the dual missionary dimension of the event: to be priests according to the Heart of God in the peripheries, and prophets of peace and reconciliation, as was the Virgin who appeared in Guadalupe. But this is precisely the wish that the Comboni Province of Congo makes for these two of its new members. (Father Kakule Muvawa Emery-Justin, mccj)

DEUTSCHSPRACHIGE PROVINZ

DSP Annual retreat

From 10^th to 14^th March 2025, the annual retreat of the German-speaking Province (DSP) took place in Ellwangen on the theme ‘Spiritually Shaping Old Age’, led by the monk Martin Birk, OSB, of the Benedictine Abbey of Münsterschwarzach, 25 km from Würzburg. The retreat began on Monday afternoon and concluded on Friday with the celebration of the Eucharist and lunch.

The central theme of the meditations – each lasting about 30 minutes – was love for God and for one’s neighbor. The commandment of Jesus is fundamental: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love!” (Jn 15:9). Love is not made up of words, nor of feelings, but of actions. Love is a verb, a choice, a decision. It is an act of the will, and it is a gift.

To understand this, it is essential to contemplate Jesus crucified and risen, who gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Prayer – especially the celebration of the Eucharist as a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice of love and suffering and as a sign of the wedding of the Lamb for eternal life – must characterise our daily life. Assistance to the sick, refugees, the hungry, orphans, the elderly without family members… are concrete expressions of our love for our neighbor.

In addition to the 14 members of the Ellwangen community, six confreres from other communities in the province took part in the retreat.

Egypt-Sudan

Sudan – The regular army “frees” Khartoum

On 26^th March, after weeks of siege and having liberated almost the entire city of Omdurman in the last months of 2024 and Khartoum North in January of this year, the regular army scored another major victory against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and entered the centre of Khartoum, where the cathedral and many of our oldest Comboni missions, including Comboni College, are located. As the army entered Khartoum, reports began to spread that the RSF were moving westward, into Darfur.

Videos and photos began to circulate on social media, showing the destruction and chaos left by almost two years of war. For us missionaries, it is a consolation to see that the buildings we had abandoned are still standing – which is no small thing, to be honest. The images we have received tell us that Khartoum awaits us. The bricks will be put back together… It will be hard work. But much harder will be the task of healing the souls (and bodies) of the survivors. Comboni used to say: "Sudan or death!"

ESPAñA

Annual meeting of the Comboni Family in Madrid

On 15^th and 16^th March, in Madrid, we had the opportunity to experience a wonderful meeting of the Comboni Family of Spain. It was a weekend lived as a space of fraternity, reflection and spiritual growth.

We explored the theme of the Jubilee of Hope, understood as a special time that invites us to renew our faith and our commitment to those most in need. In this Jubilee Year we feel called to be instruments of hope in a world that needs it so much.

We reflected on the spirituality and the Comboni charism, which encourage us to live the Gospel with courage, generosity and boundless love. As sons and daughters of Saint Daniel Comboni, our mission is to bring the light of the Gospel to every corner of the world, especially to those who suffer most.

It was a meeting full of moments of prayer, reflection and testimonies that strengthened our bonds as a family and encouraged us to an ever-greater commitment to the mission of Jesus.

While we thank all those who made this meeting possible, we invite everyone to continue walking together ‘as pilgrims of hope’, guided, of course, by our Comboni charism. (The meeting participants).

MOZAMBIQUE

Jude: yet another cyclone

On Monday, 10^th March, Mozambique was tragically hit by Cyclone Jude. The destructive event hit the province of Nampula, in the district of Mossuril, with winds reaching more than 140 km/h causing heavy rains and freak waves and increasing the risk of floods and landslides. In some villages, Cyclone Jude caused 70% of the houses to collapse!

Jude is the third cyclone to hit Mozambique in the last four months. Cyclone Chido passed in December, killing at least 120 people and destroying nearly 120,000 homes. In mid-January, it was the turn of Cyclone Dikeledi, which killed at least 5 people and destroyed around 3,500 homes.

The area of the Comboni community of Carapira, which hosts both the Diocesan Pastoral Center and the Carapira Industrial Technical Institute (ITIC), has also suffered extensive damage. The brothers have communicated that they are fine, although they are completely isolated from the rest of the world. Father De Guidi Davide, superior, sent a voice message on 14^th March, describing the situation.

“The cyclone passed over our area with tremendous force. It lasted about 12 hours, with very strong winds and heavy rain. Carapira was the centre of the terrible phenomenon. The cyclone then headed towards Nampula, but with less force. The damage is extensive. In the parish, many houses collapsed. Some chapels were also razed to the ground. The centre of the parish itself suffered severe but not enormous damage, thank God. Many trees fell. The buildings are all flooded. Water entered everywhere, even from the damaged ceilings. There is no doubt that a year of hunger awaits us.”

It was a real shock. “And to think that things were going really well. In the previous months, there had been abundant rains. The crops were growing wonderfully. We were waiting for the last month to pass, before taking up the sickle and starting the harvest. Now, however, a year of difficulty and hope awaits us... We look around and our minds are bombarded by terrible questions: What can we do? What can the people do? Where will the aid come from? The local population has lost a large part of their crops. What will tomorrow be like?”

A reflection by Father Davide followed: “The cyclones that have occurred in recent months have been extremely frequent and devastating. It is impossible not to think of a reckless manipulation of the environment. As always, even today those who pay the price are the poor, the last, who are almost certainly the least guilty of the exploitation of ecosystems. Obviously, the first buildings to collapse were the mud huts of the poorest. Thank God, it seems that there have been no deaths in our parish. We hope this will be confirmed soon.”

How did the population react? “Our people are amazing: they immediately rolled up their sleeves and started to put things back in order. Many immediately began to erect small structures with poles and branches. Obviously: they are looking for a place to live… But, sooner or later, they will have to start building stronger and more stable homes. The problem is where to find the money to do this. Straw houses and ‘matope’ (mud) do not last: the next cyclone would have no regard for them.”

He continued: “The children and young people are all at home. The schools have all been hit. Even the school in Carapira was partly destroyed. Our Pastoral Center – already in need of repairs – was seriously damaged. Only the church resisted: it was flooded, yes, but it is in good condition. Outside, in the villages, however, many chapels have been reduced to piles of mud and straw; others have been seriously damaged and will need to be repaired.”

In conclusion: “Many poor people have flocked to the mission courtyard. We immediately took action to welcome and help them. We offer them shelter and food to feed themselves. We will have to think of some project to be able to deal with the difficult situation. We will launch appeals to local authorities, to the diocese and to friends abroad, in the hope that we will soon receive concrete signs of hope for these vulnerable poor people. We are not discouraged. We are simply eager to help. But we will also have to think about the future, starting with educating the local population to invest the few resources they have in improving their homes. It is a hopeless task to counter a cyclone with the huts built with straw and mud.”

TCHAD

Bursars’ formation meeting in Chad

Following a proposal expressed in the six-year plan of the Comboni delegation of Chad, a training session on economics was held from 25^th February to 1^st March 2025, led by Father Pietro Ciuciulla, in which some confreres and the treasurers of the communities participated. After this, the treasurers met to analyse the reports and budgets of their respective communities. Finally, the secretariat of the economy held a session to evaluate the economic situation of the delegation.

The training session with Father Pietro allowed us to understand and appreciate both the strictly technical aspects (management, accounting; the Banana program) and those in reference to the Code of Canon Law, the Rule of Life, the Code of Conduct. The presentation of the various topics was interesting and full of suggestions to help an understanding of the economy understood and lived according to the indications of the Church and the Institute.

A more practical and interesting moment was when Father Pietro introduced us to two practical and technical topics (‘What is accounting in its technical aspects’ and ‘the Banana Accounting program’) that need to be better known and practised at the level of individual communities.

A second session was dedicated to the economy of the communities. Despite some technical difficulties, such as the rotation of the treasurers and an uncertain technical management of the data, the economy of the communities responds to the needs of the mission. Father Amegnaglo Yaotsé-Mensah (Jean Nestor), treasurer of the delegation, accompanied this analysis, recalling the points on which it is essential to commit to such management of the economy that is increasingly in accordance with the indications of the Institute and the local Church.

A final moment of this “economic marathon” was when the secretariat of the economy analysed some economic issues (projects, revision of community budgets, etc.) that will allow the delegation council to have a clearer vision of what happens in the economic field in our communities.

These were intense days, but I think they were fruitful thanks to the help of Father Pietro, who never tired of emphasising the importance of community dialogue and proper management of the goods entrusted to us. The economy is everyone’s business – the individual, the local community and the entire delegation – where we find ourselves carrying out our mission.

Trust, dialogue, correctness seem to me to be some of the key words that emerged during these days of work.

A sincere thank you goes to the community of Ndjaména, who welcomed us so fraternally. (Brother Enrico Gonzales, mccj)

UGANDA

115 years of Comboni presence

The first Comboni missionaries arrived in Omach, in northwestern Uganda, 115 years ago. To remember and celebrate that historic moment – it was 6^th March 1910 – in which the Cross of Christ was raised for the first time in that region, last 6^th March bishops, priests and hundreds of Christians went on a pilgrimage to that precise place – today in the parish of Pakwach, in the diocese of Nebbi – to celebrate the Eucharist together.

«It was a truly spectacular celebration, a feast celebrated with all the liturgical and ‘stylistic’ splendour of Africa», writes Father Carmelo Del Río Sanz, a Spanish Comboni missionary, aged 71 years of which he spent more than thirty in Uganda. He was also parish priest of Pakwach in the 1980s.

Father Carmelo continues: “Today we had the joy of celebrating the fruits of that first arrival: the birth and development of four flourishing dioceses in the northwest of the country, today led by six prelates: the archdiocese of Gulu, with Msgr. Wokorach Raphael P’Mony and Msgr. John Baptist Odama, emeritus; the diocese of Lira, with Msgr. Sanctus Lino Wanok and Msgr. Giuseppe Franzelli, emeritus; the diocese of Arua, with Msgr. Sabino Ocan Odoki; the diocese of Nebbi, with Msgr. Constantine Rupiny.”

The missionary concludes: “Every year, on March 6, we go on a pilgrimage to Omach, to remember the arrival of faith in this region. It is an important day in the history of the Comboni Missionaries in Uganda, because it is from here that our presence and the history of evangelisation in the north of the country began.”

LET US PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED DEAD

THE FATHERS: Alfredo, of Father Cerda Contreras Mario (M); Dewa Marcel, of Father Horbé Richard (TCH); Nayir Berkay, of Father Teweldebrhan Nayir Berkay (ER); Atia, of Father Mina Anwar Habib Atia (EG); Victor, of Father Milungo Mangulani Pascal (RDC).

THE MOTHERS: Gina, of Father Bombieri Claudio (I); Ma. de la Luz, of Father Rogelio Bustos Juárez (†).

THE BROTHERS: Franz, of Father Baumann Reinhold (DSP); Gianbattista, of Father Aldo Pedercini (I).

THE SISTERS: Ngsti Haile, of Father Tesfagiorgis Haile; Sr. Virginia Mary, of Father Baltz David Paul (NAP); Mari Carmen, of Father Fraile Gómez Juan Antonio (E).

THE COMBONI MISSIONARY SISTERS: Sr. Maria Rita Saccol; Sr. Angelica M. Habtemariam. (ER).