Friday, April 27, 2018
Twenty-six Comboni Missionaries belonging to 14 nationalities and four continents have concluded the 18th edition of the Comboni Year of Ongoing Formation (CYOF) which took place in Rome, Italy, from September 21 2017 through April 20, 2018. The CYOF consists of eight months of formation offered to missionaries who have already spent between 10 and 15 years in mission in the various places where the Comboni Institute is present. In the picture: Fr. Sindjalim Essognimam Elias.

Rather than an academic experience, the CYOF is an experiential, holistic and personalized experience aimed to help missionaries above 45 years of age to make a synthesis of their life and missionary experiences and to renew their energies in order to continue in mission with renewed enthusiasm.

On Friday, April 20, 2018 all the CYOF participants gathered in the chapel of the General Curia of the Comboni Missionaries in Rome to celebrate the end of the course in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving. Many other missionaries and friends attended the celebration.

This course of ongoing formation was first surfaced by the 1991 General Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries and confirmed by the Chapters of 1997 and 2003 as “an integral part of the journey of formation of all Comboni Missionaries.”

During these past years the course has been restructured so as to offer to the missionaries a privileged opportunity for a deeper encounter with their own selves, with God, with St. Daniel Comboni and with “others” in order to improve their missionary service.

Beyond these aspects, the missionaries also had the opportunity to attend a series of presentations on current relevant topics and on questions related to mission today and to community life. Towards the end of the course, the group made a pilgrimage to Limone sul Garda, the birthplace of St. Daniel Comboni, as well as to Brescia and Verona, places that were also important in the cultural, spiritual and missionary life of the Founder.

The participants of the 18th edition of the CYOF gave a positive evaluation to the experience, defining it as a time of grace, of human and spiritual renewal and of growth that made them feel more serene and encouraged to continue their mission with joy and enthusiasm.

At the end of the Eucharist, the 23 participants plus the members of the team that coordinated the course expressed their gratitude to God for the gift of their missionary vocation, to the Institute, benefactors family and friends, the people of the missions where they served, also for the support, the friendship and the prayers received for the benefit of the missions and the missionaries.

Comboni Year of Ongoing Formation
2017 - 2018

Coordinators of the CYOF
Bro. Casas Rosell Guillermo
Fr. Sindjalim Essognimam Elias
Fr. Stocchetti Siro


List of participants in the CYOF 2017 2018
Bro. Adigbo Komlan Cyprien (MZ)
Bro. Bertolo Roberto (ET)
Fr. Bayo Mata Enrique (CN)
Fr. Brisacani Giuseppe (RCA)
Fr. Chwaliszewski Wojciech (C)
Fr. Estacio Moises Dela Cruz (A)
Fr. Grabmann Hubert Josef (KE)
Fr. Hernandez Almaguer Marcial (T)
Fr. Huruwella Moses Samuel (T)
Fr. Jorge Miguel Pereira Brites (P)
Fr. Mejia Gonzalez Jose Luis (MO)
Fr. Oswal Baptist Abakar Abushaka (TCH)
Fr. Panis Romulo Vela (A)
Fr. Raimundo Nonato Rocha dos Santos (SS)
Fr. Rangu Mogoro Norbert (CN)
Fr. Shikolio John Webootsa (KE)
Fr. Sito Atambise Ferdinand (PE)
Fr. Sodokin Jacob (MO)
Fr. Somanje John Paul (MZ)
Fr. Sowah Ako Kossi (Lazare) (PO-C)
Fr. Tabaranza Raul Baluma (A)
Fr. Vizcarra Edgardo Alfonso (RSA)