Provincial Assembly of the Comboni Missionaries in Mozambique

On the first day, sister Guadalupe Alejandra Mancilla, provincial superior of the Comboni Sisters in Mozambique and Zambia, was also present, along with two representatives of the collaborators and friends of Nampula, known as the ‘MCCJ Godparents’, whose current is Ms. Zainabo Aníbal.

The assembly began with the celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by father José Joaquim Luís Pedro, the provincial superior, who called on those present to be generous and to live fraternal love in their communities. In his opening remarks, he invited the participants to “sharpen their vision, refine their discernment, and have the courage to make new choices.”

This invitation was in line with both the theme chosen for the assembly— ‘Pilgrims of hope on the path of requalifying the mission, formation, and economic sustainability’ – and with the goals of the assembly itself: ‘To take up again the challenges of the 19^th General Chapter and to reembrace the commitments of the Six-Year Plan 2022–2028’.

During the assembly, there were moments of personal and community prayer, presentations of ongoing formation content, reports from the provincial council, local communities, and various secretariats, as well as group work and plenary sessions. The discussions focused mainly on topics related to the mission, formation, and the economic situation of the circumscription.

Particular attention was given to the following issues: the overcrowding of candidates in formation houses, the strengthening of formation teams (by increasing the number of formators), the need to increase the number of confrères in each community, the urgency of promoting local collaborators and benefactors through the Opera del Redentore (‘Work of the Redeemer’, and the possibility of renting out some of our houses.

It was also hoped that the celebration of 80 years of Comboni presence in Mozambique (1946–2026) could be an excellent opportunity to revitalise our vocation and mission in Mozambique by prophetically addressing the current challenges facing the Church and Mozambican society.

The sessions, held in a spirit of serenity and fraternity, were very fruitful. The participants expressed their gratitude for the preparation and realisation of this important moment of discernment for our circumscription.

The assembly concluded on Saturday, June 22, with Mass presided over by Father José Joaquim. In his homily, he invited everyone to collaborate in implementing the proposals made during the assembly and to trust in Divine Providence. He concluded by saying that all of this will be possible, provided that we all cultivate a deep spirituality – an essential condition for the fruitfulness of our Comboni missionary pastoral work.

Father Sergio Mario Vilanculo, MCCJ