Familia Comboniana 842 - July-August 2025

APPOINTMENT BY THE HOLY SEE

Mons. Tesfaye, appointed a member of the DIVCSVA

On 24^th June 2025, we learned with joy that Pope Leo XIV appointed our confrère Msgr. Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, auxiliary bishop of the archeparchy of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), member of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (DIVCSVA). We congratulate Msgr. Tesfaye on this appointment, we offer him our most sincere wishes for a fruitful service to the Universal Church, and we assure him of our constant prayers.

GENERAL COUNCIL

GENERAL NOTES OF THE 35^TH GENERAL CONSULTA – June 2025

Appointments by the Consulta

During the 35^th Consulta, the General Council appointed:

• Fr. Domara Komlan Alagbé (Bernard) as superior of Nairobi scholasticate, as from 1.7.2025.
• Fr. Carbonero Mogollón Pedro Percy as bursar of Nairobi scholasticate as from 1.7.2025.
• Fr. Fene-Fene Santime Augustin as socius of the novice master of Lusaka novitiate, as from 1.7.2025.
• Mons. Filippi Giuseppe as Father Master of the Layibi Apdesam continental novitiate for a period of two years as from 1.7.2025.
• Fr. Avoga Benjamin as socius of the novice master of the Layibi Apdesam continental novitiate for a period of two years as from 1.7.2025.
• Fr. Natal António Manganhe as formator of the Maia formation community as from 1.7.2025.
• Fr. Hategek’Imana Sylvester as a member of the ongoing formation team as from 1.7.2025.

Erection of the Layibi Novitiate – Gulu – Uganda

In order to meet the need to respond to the growing number of young people who have completed the postulancy and ask to enter the novitiate, the general council, in accordance with the Code of Canon Law (§647.1) and the Rule of Life 139.2, has erected ad tempus the continental novitiate for the APDESAM provinces, starting from 1^st July 2025 until 30^th June 2027, with its seat in Layibi (Gulu – Uganda). The house, made available by the province of Uganda, will be the one used until now as the continental postulancy of the Brothers. The Layibi novitiate will maintain its dedication to Saint Daniel Comboni. The General Council invokes the protection and assistance of St. Daniel Comboni, Blessed Giuseppe Ambrosoli and all the African saints, so that their example may inspire our future confrères who will be initiated into the consecrated and missionary life in this house, and may support and encourage the two confrères who have accepted the request to take on the task of forming the novices, Msgr. Giuseppe Filippi and Father Avoga Benjamin, and bless their superiors, who have placed them at the disposal of this continental initiative.

Meeting of the General Councils of the Comboni Family in Rome

On 31^st May 31 and 1^st June, the annual meeting of the general councils of the Comboni Family was held at the General Curia of the Comboni Missionaries, in an atmosphere of prayer, reflection and dialogue. Representatives of the Comboni missionaries, the Secular Comboni Missionaries and Lay people participated, with a welcome to Father Austine Radol Odhiambo, the new member of the general council of the MCCJ. Brother Alberto Degan led a reflection on the theme of hope (“Spes non confundit”). The journey undertaken in the last year and future prospects were discussed, with particular attention to the difficult situation in Sudan. The desire to return to the country emerged, but in new ways and aware of the current context. The next Forum on Integral Ecology, which will be held in Belém, in conjunction with COP30, was also discussed, and the creation of a dossier enhancing the unity and diversity of the Comboni charism was planned. Finally, the theme of interculturality was chosen for the 2026 meeting.

First Professions 2025

With a feeling of gratitude, the General Council informs all the confrères that this year, 41 novices have made their first profession in the Institute. Of these, two are brothers. Sixteen come from the novitiate of Cotonou, sixteen from the novitiate of Lusaka, five from the novitiate of Xochimilco, and four from the novitiate of Nampula. The General Council is grateful to all the vocation promoters and formators who have accompanied these newly professed, and entrusts all of them to the grace of God for their future journey.

Official photos of the General Council

Many confrères have asked if it would be possible to have a photo of the General Council to display in our houses, Photos were taken during the June consultation and will be made available to the circumscription superiors who will be present in Rome for the intercapitular assembly next September.

Journeys of the General Council

The following members of the General Council will be absent from Rome as indicated below:

• Fr. Luigi Codianni, from 11.7 to 29.7 in Portugal;
• Fr. Elias Sindjalim from 14.7 to 14.8 in TGB;
• Fr. David Costa Domingues from 29.7 to 14.8 in Portugal;
• Bro. Alberto Lamana from 23.6 to 12.7 in Spain;
• Fr. Radol Austine Odhiambo from 21.6 to 1.7 in the DSP.

The next Consulta

The next General Council will be held from 6^th to 27^th of next October.

Holy Redeemer Guild

July                  01 – 15 KE           16 – 31 M
August            01 – 15 MO          16 – 31 MZ
September     01 – 15 NAP         16 – 30 PCA

Prayer intentions

July – We pray that, as missionaries, we do not rely solely on human and structural resources, but above all on the humanising power of the Gospel. Lord hear us.

August – So that missionaries may reach all peoples in every corner of the world to extend a friendly and helping hand with compassionate hearts that love, mourn, rejoice and pray together with them to God, who deeply loves every person. Lord hear us.

September – In today’s ever-changing society, we ask the Lord for the ability to listen to the needs of all humanity and all of creation, performing gestures of benevolence, respect and care for our “common home”. Lord hear us.

Comboni liturgical calendar

JULY

28

Blessed Joseph Ambrosoli

Memorial

SEPTEMBER

9

St. Peter Claver, priest – Patron of the Institute

Solemnity

Meaningful anniversaries

AUGUST

2	Saint Frumentius, bishop*	Ethiopia
15	Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary	South Africa
23	Saint Rose of Lima, virgin	Peru, Chile
28	Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church	Kenya

* The Roman martyrology mentions him on 20 July

SEPTEMEBER

9	Saint Peter Claver, priest, Patron of the Institute, Solemnity	Chad, Columbia
14	Exaltation of the Holy Cross	general

Publications

Giulio Albanese, Afriche, inferno e paradiso – Viaggio in un continente dai mille contrasti, Dicastery for Communications, Vatican City, June 2025. pp. 416.

Many are those who believe they know Africa. But the continent they think they know is not the one revealed by Father Albanese, a Comboni missionary journalist, in this engaging and witty book, in which he has collected some articles he published in L’Osservatore Romano between 2019 and 2024. The author, an expert in African cultures and a direct witness to the exceptional plurality, multiplicity and complexity of the centuries-old heritage of this continent – hence the use of Africas, instead of Africa in the title –, takes the reader on a journey that challenges prejudice and awakens a new awareness of one of the most fascinating continents in the world. He does not hide the vulnerabilities of this land - often the consequences of a terrible colonial past that has produced and left many, too many scars -, but he is especially interested in revealing its centuries-old traditions that, still alive, are able to shape young generations, making them capable of facing and overcoming present challenges and changing the future,  thanks also to the contribution of the Christian Churches, today more than ever eager to spread the seed of hope in an impervious field. In love with Africa, Father Albanese avoids “the usual stereotypes that portray it as a boundless land of conquest made of savannahs, deserts and rainforests, whose people, for mysterious ancestral reasons, are said to be refractory to the rational mind and scientific thought”. Instead, he intends to “debunk certain clichés, in the awareness that this is a continent that constitutes a multifaceted container of millenary knowledge, places, passions, cultural and artistic wealth.” With a specific purpose: “to generate empathy, more awareness, more consciousness of our common human belonging and common destiny, paying particular attention to the history and current conditions of the most fragile people - the elderly, the young and the women - because it is in them that the very future of Africa is reflected, in backlight.”

CURIA

Meeting of the General Councils of the Comboni Family in Rome

Moved by the desire to revive hope in the exceptional circumstance of the Jubilee, the traditional annual meeting of the General Councils of the Comboni Family (CFGC) took place on Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June at the General Curia of the Comboni Missionaries. The members of the General Councils of the Comboni Missionaries (MCCJ), the Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS) and the Comboni Secular Missionaries (SCM) met; the Lay Comboni Missionaries (LCM) were represented by Alberto de la Portilla, the coordinator of the Central Committee. The new member of the General Council of the MCCJ, Father Austine Radol Odhiambo, was welcomed, who was at his first meeting of the GCCF. The participants experienced intense hours of prayer, reflection and dialogue, helped by Brother Alberto Degan, who presented a reflection entitled ‘Spes non confundit – The Spirit, source of our Hope’. The meeting began with a protracted sharing both on the path taken by the various realities during the past year (highlighting the main steps taken) and possible developments in the near future.

Then we discussed the situation in Sudan, which concerns the entire Comboni Family, especially the Comboni Missionaries, who in recent years have seen their presence reduced to a small group of confrères and Sisters. While the desire to return to Sudan is clear and strong in everyone, it is equally clear that we cannot limit ourselves to a simple ‘return’, to go back to doing what we always did in the past, because the Sudan of today is no longer the Sudan we knew. The dialogue is destined to continue on the basis of more precise information, which we hope to obtain shortly.

We then talked about the Comboni Forum on Integral Ecology, which will take place in Belém (Brazil) in November, in conjunction with the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30), providing precise information and indications to facilitate participation in the event.

The dialogue then defined more clearly how to proceed in the drafting of a common instrument (a dossier, or insert, to be presented in Comboni magazines and websites, or made known through other dissemination tools of the Comboni Family) that can highlight the fact that the Comboni charism is lived as a common charismatic origin, but with different styles of presence and different methodological emphases, and with a fruitful collaboration in different geographical and cultural contexts.

Finally, the theme of Interculturality was identified as one of great relevance and common interest, which will be the underlying theme of the next meeting of the GCCF, which will take place on 30^th and 31^st May 2026 at the headquarters of the Comboni Sisters in Rome. The meeting concluded with the celebration of the Eucharist of the solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, presided over by Father David Domingues, vicar general of the Mccj. (Brother Daniele Giusti, mccj)

CURIA – Student Confrères (CCS)

Padre Fene-Fene Santime Augustin receives a degree in Clinical and Community Psychology in Rome

On 18^th June 2025, Father Augustin Fene-Fene Santime, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, completed a five-year specialisation course in Clinical and Community Psychology at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome, defending his master’s thesis on the topic of personality psychology, with the French title L’évaluation de la personnalité des candidats à la vie conscarée. Avantages, limites et perspectives (“The psychological evaluation of the personality of candidates for consecrated life, advantages, limits and perspectives”).

Father Augustin himself explains that “this study arises from the awareness that, in an ecclesial context profoundly marked by contemporary cultural and anthropological changes, the formation of candidates for consecrated life requires integral accompaniment, capable of embracing all dimensions of the human person. In this perspective, psychology – and, in particular, personality assessment – today proves to be a valuable support for vocational discernment, provided that it is inserted in an ethical, dialogical framework that respects personal freedom.”

The central question that guided his research was: “How is psychological assessment currently integrated into formative practice?”. To answer this question, he conducted an exploratory survey aimed at formators, with the aim of understanding the degree of reception of this tool, its concrete applications and its perceived limits in the context of consecrated life.

The survey involved 231 formators: 5 consecrated lay women, 108 religious women, 11 religious men, 33 diocesan priests and 74 religious priests. What did the results of the survey show? Father Augustin answers: “The results reveal a broad adherence to the use of psychological assessment (93.5%), considered useful for deepening the knowledge of candidates, promoting self-awareness and guiding discernment. The main benefits noted were improved interpersonal relationships and greater vocational clarity.” However, Father Augustin is quick to add: “There were also critical elements: cultural resistance on the part of candidates (56.3%), lack of specialised psychologists (43.7%), perceived inadequacy of the tools with respect to the religious context (41.6%) and insufficient skills of the formators in the use of psychological data. Only 39.4% of the formators said they collaborate regularly with a psychologist.” In light of these observations, Father Augustin’s research formulated several recommendations: strengthening the training of formators in reading and interpreting psychological results; promoting regular and structured collaboration with psychologists; adapting diagnostic tools to the peculiarities of consecrated life; encouraging a culture of continuous, integrated and benevolent evaluation. The study also invites us to go beyond a purely technical vision of evaluation, to rediscover its formative and humanising value. He explains: “Although the survey has privileged the point of view of the formators, it opens the way to further research that also involves the candidates and psychologists, so as to build a shared and three-dimensional understanding of formative dynamics. In this way, the psychological evaluation can become an authentic instrument of personal and spiritual maturation, fully consistent with the purposes of consecrated life”. After a period of vacation in his homeland, Father Augustin, already assigned to the province of Malawi-Zambia, will go to Lusaka where he will take up the post of socius of the father master in the novitiate.

EGYPT-SUDAN

Asdiqa’ Comboni (“Friends of Comboni”)

On 14^th June 2025, more than 50 friends of Comboni met at the “Cordi Jesu” Missionary Animation Centre in Cairo. It was a powerful moment of meeting, prayer and training, animated by the team of missionary animators and focused on the importance of having friends who share our spirituality and pray for the mission. The vision and contents of the Plan for the Regeneration of Africa by St. Daniel Comboni were placed at the centre of the reflection and discussion.

Father Giovanni Antonello opened the meeting with a moment of prayer and then helped the assembly understand that we all need the help of others at a certain moment in our lives.

After welcoming those present, Father Christophe Bamana recalled that our founder, St. Daniel Comboni, had many friends in Europe, but also in mission places. One of his friends was the ruler of Egypt of his time, Ismail Pasha. He donated to the great missionary a piece of land where the first stone of the “Cordi Jesu” was laid, the first church dedicated to the Sacred Heart in Africa and the centre of Comboni’s missionary activities.

Father Mina Albeer then presented the purpose of the meeting: “We would like to share with our friends our spirituality and some mission experiences and pray for the mission.”

Then the presentation of the Comboni Plan began. Comboni Sister Amani Boulis emphasised that the main objective of our founder was to reach the people who lived in the centre of Africa, because other congregations were already present on the coasts of the continent. This meeting was a great opportunity to bring friends together to witness the beauty of the Comboni mission today.

Inauguration of the new headquarters of the Comboni College of Science and Technology in Port Sudan

On 28^th June, the Comboni College of Science and Technology (CCST) inaugurated its new headquarters in Port Sudan. The new facilities will improve the quality of the work that the College is already doing with university students enrolled before the outbreak of the war in Khartoum, but will also open its doors to new students. Luca Renda, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sudan, praised the way in which a private institution like the CCST integrates into national development through collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Higher Education and with the community, in this case through the activities of the Nursing Clinic, the Hospice for palliative care and its volunteers. He also highlighted the characteristics of the building, which is completely sustainable in terms of energy (through the installation of solar panels) and water, thanks to the system for collecting water condensed by air conditioners. The ‘Daniel Comboni’ secondary school also benefits from the building, since the ground floor includes three classrooms for the female section.

On Sunday the 29^th, the national high school leaving exams began across the country. This was the second session after the war began, so they are valid as secondary school exams for 2024. The Minister of General Education, Dr. Ahmed Khalifa, visited the Comboni secondary school and the new headquarters of the College, where he was able to appreciate the quality and characteristics of our educational proposal. He stressed the need to incorporate online education in Sudan to increase its level and broaden its horizons.

ITALY

Acse celebration at the Comboni community in Rome

On Sunday, 15^th June, the annual celebration of the Comboni Association for the Service of Emigrants (ACSE) took place at the Comboni community in Via Luigi Lilio, Rome, with excellent participation from members, volunteers and friends, despite the heat.

The meeting began with a reflection by Father Venanzio Milani, a Comboni missionary and president of ACSE, on the outcome of one of the five referendums held on 8 and 9 June – the one closest to his heart – concerning Italian citizenship for foreigners, which proposed halving the period of legal residence in Italy required of non-EU foreigners of legal age to apply for Italian citizenship from 10 to 5 years. None of the five referendums obtained the required quorum (50% +1). Father Venanzio commented: “It was a tremendous disappointment…. But we will not stop in terms of services provided to migrants and initiatives aimed at providing correct information on the phenomenon.”

Three university students who benefit from scholarships promoted by Acse, presented their experience and current situation. This was followed by a reflection on Human Trafficking by Sister Mariarosa Venturelli, a Comboni missionary. According to the United Nations, it is estimated that 50 million people are victims of trafficking globally. Those who suffer the consequences most are women, children, migrants and refugees. Sister Mariarosa said: “The ministry of combatting human trafficking is closely linked to the phenomenon of migration. Human trafficking is like a perverse mechanism that captures and crushes people, but many grains of sand can cause its gears to jam up.” The meeting continued with a Eucharistic celebration, presided over by the Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries, Father Luigi Codianni, enlivened by Congolese songs. The day ended with a shared meal.

Rethinking the development model – Combonian initiative in Padua

From 2024 to 2025, a training course inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ was developed in Padua. The project, entitled In the wake of Laudato si’, saw the organisation of 13 events – conferences, walks, shows and meetings – with the aim of promoting awareness of environmental and social crises and stimulating a change in our lifestyles.

Promoted by a group of volunteers, together with the Comboni missionaries and lay missionaries, and supported by local institutions and associations, the project was also born as part of a degree thesis in Integral Ecology at the Pontifical University–The Antonianum. The starting point was the appeal of the encyclical: there are not two separate crises – environmental and social – but a single complex crisis, which requires a new cultural perspective.

The series of meetings was characterised by an interdisciplinary approach, aimed at involving different perspectives – scientific, ethical, philosophical – to address the ecological crisis in its complexity. The first event, in April 2024, opened the discussion on ‘The necessary change’, underlining the need for a pedagogy of care and responsibility.

In the second event, in May 2024, the theme ‘Science, ethics and ecological transition’ questioned the apparent neutrality of science and technology, highlighting the risk of a technocratic drift.

At the end of May, the theme of the ‘Value of natural capital’ was addressed, with a focus on the environmental costs of our well-being: industrial fishing, deforestation and land exploitation, often at the service of the consumption of a few, produce damage and costs that will fall on future generations.

In October, the Appeal of the Centre for Studies on Energy Economics and Technology of the University of Padua relaunched the alarm of scientists on the climate crisis, while the ‘Climate Walk’ made the challenges of climate adaptation visible, even in urban areas.

The meeting ‘Men and Trees’, in November, reiterated the importance of correct information to address complexity. On 1^st December, the show ‘Climate and crime’ closed 2024 with an effective example of scientific communication.

In 2025, the associations involved promoted events on specific topics: ANACI talked about sustainable construction; the biologists of Veneto presented urgent actions to combat climate change; the SUMAI of Padua discussed pollution from PFAS and drugs, underlining the risks to human health.

The final event on 30^th May 2025, ‘The actions necessary for a different well-being’ saw the participation of institutional representatives, univer-sities and the promoting bodies. During the meeting, two concrete tools were presented: the handbook Io impatto meno and the film coLibriamoci. The final reflections, entrusted to an economist, a scientist and a philosopher, reiterated the need to profoundly rethink our development model.

As organisers – religious, lay Combonian missionaries and volunteers – we have learned a lot from this journey. Laudato si’ has proven to be a transversal and prophetic text, addressed to all people of good will. We have understood the importance of networking, of building community and of collaboration between knowledge, as demonstrated by the generous participation of professors from the Universities of Padua, Milan Bicocca, Verona, the Mario Negri of Milan and theological institutes.

The project has addressed crucial issues – from technocracy to social justice, from spiritual values to ecological urgency – demonstrating that every person can contribute to change. Awareness is needed, and this awareness has been the heart of the entire journey: understanding in order to act, rediscovering the link between our lifestyle and the health of the Earth. (Father Gaetano Montresor with Lay Combonian Missionaries, Margherita Sedino and Colibanda)

New parish at Pescopagano di Mondragone

At Pescopagano, a small town in the commune of Mondragone (Caserta), a new pastoral phase has begun with the arrival of the Comboni missionaries in the parish of San Gaetano da Thiene. The official start of the mandate took place on Sunday, 29^th June, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, with a celebration presided over by Msgr. Giacomo Cirulli, bishop of Teano-Calvi, Alife-Caiazzo and Sessa Aurunca.

The bishop, inspired by the testimony of the Apostles Peter and Paul, entrusted the religious with the delicate task of promoting unity, harmony and brotherhood in a complex social context, marked by the strong presence of immigrants and by ethnic, religious and cultural tensions. He underlined the importance of recognising ourselves “all one in Jesus Christ, beyond differences”.

The Comboni missionaries have been present in the Campania region for decades, especially in the diocese of Capua, committed to helping the least fortunate: immigrants, women and children. Their work ranges from material and educational assistance to the promotion of social and environmental justice, human rights and peace.

At the inauguration celebration, several priests of the diocese were present alongside the bishop. The parish will be led by Fathers Daniele Moschetti, Filippo Ivardi and Daniel Gbedenygna

MOZAMBIQUE

Provincial Assembly in Nampula

The Comboni missionaries present in Mozambique met in assembly from 16^th to 22^nd June 2025 at the Paul VI Socio-Pastoral Centre in Anchilo, Nampula, in northern Mozambique. All the confrères participated in the provincial assembly, except Father Juan Sánchez Arenas and Father José Júlio Marques for justified reasons. Also present on the first day were Sister Guadalupe Alejandra Mancilla, provincial superior of the Comboni Sisters in Mozambique and Zambia, and two representatives of the collaborators and friends of Nampula, called ‘The Godparents of the Mccj’, whose current coordinator is Mrs. Zainabo Aníbal.

The assembly began with the celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Father José Joaquim Luís Pedro, provincial superior, who made an appeal to those present to be generous and to live fraternal love in the communities. Then, at the opening of the assembly, he invited the participants to “refine their gaze, perfect their discernment and have the courage to make new choices.”

An invitation in line with both the theme chosen for the assembly – “Pilgrims of hope on the path to requalifying the mission, training and economic sustainability” – and with the objectives of the assembly itself: “Taking up the challenges of the XIX General Chapter and embracing the commitments of the Six-Year Plan 2022-2028.”

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

The topics that received the most attention were: the excessive number of candidates (overcrowding) in the formation houses, the strengthening of the formation teams (more formators), the need to increase the number of confrères in the individual communities, the urgency of promoting local collaborators and benefactors through the Work of the Redeemer, and the possibility of renting some of our houses.

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

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

The assembly concluded on 22^nd Saturday with the mass presided over by Father José Joaquim, who, in his homily, invited everyone to collaborate to implement the proposals put forward during the assembly and to trust in Providence. He concluded by saying that all this will be possible, provided that we all cultivate a solid spirituality, an essential condition for the fruitfulness of our Comboni missionary pastoral work (Father Sergio Mario Vilanculo, mccj).

PORTUGAL

Cinfães honours Father José da Silva Vieira

On 10^th June of each year, the Portuguese celebrate the ‘Day of Portugal, Camões and Portuguese Communities’. This day commemorates the death of the national poet Luís de Camões, the official recognition of the Portuguese language as a national language, and the Portuguese Communities abroad. It is an occasion to organise cultural events throughout the country: shows, concerts, exhibitions and parades to honour Portuguese history and identity. It is also a celebration of each municipality, and the mayors take the opportunity to honour some citizens worthy of appreciation.

Father José da Silva Vieira, on vacation from his mission in Ethiopia, was one of the citizens chosen by the mayor of his municipality, Cinfães, located in the district of Viseu, to be honoured during the official ceremony held in the local cultural centre.

On this occasion, Mayor Serafim Rodrigues explained the reason for this tribute to Father José Vieira, emphasising “the exceptional path taken by the missionary, always at the service of others, especially in the missions he went to, spreading the evangelical message in the most varied ways and making his own life, totally spent for others, a clear message of peace and communion.” He then added, addressing Father Vieira directly: “But there is also another reason: your deep love for the land of Cinfães. For this, dear Father José, the Municipality is grateful that one of its sons carries around the world not only the message of faith, but also the name of the land of his birth.”

At first, Father José Vieira was inclined to refuse the invitation, but eventually accepted it. And he also had to address the many people present. Here follows his brief address.

Thanks – «I confess that I am against receiving honours of this type. When it was proposed to me, I thought twice or three times! Then I accepted for one simple reason: I am here on behalf of the faith of the people of Cinfães, where I was born and raised, learning what life is and learning the Christian faith, which I then tried to share with the Guji ethnic group, from southern Ethiopia, for twelve years, with the South Sudanese for another seven years, and with the Mexicans for just over nine months.

In all honesty, I feel like a humble witness of the Gospel of God’s grace. I carry out the ministry of evangelical proclamation on your behalf and with the strength of your friendship. Missionary service is a unique privilege and a source of joy and vitality. It is a unique human experience to be able to share life with people I didn’t even know existed and who welcomed me as one of them.

José Tolentino de Mendonça, a great beacon of contemporary literature and spirituality, wrote: “When I give my life, it multiplies. When I abandon myself to others, I find myself again. When I say to someone ‘my life is yours,’ it truly belongs to me. Life will be a fruitful adventure, if we can count on this kind of love.” The mission I am carrying out makes me live this reality every day!

I am a native of Cinfães and immensely proud of my roots. Even of my accent! When I lived in Lisbon, many people who heard me speak would say to me: “You, Father, are from the North, right?”. I am from Cinfães, and that makes me proud. Even more: I feel responsible for this, because I am your ambassador to all corners of the world!

Many of my generation live in a diaspora for work or family reasons, or to follow a vocation, like myself.

We left Cinfães, but Cinfães did not let us go. The call of the cradle that welcomed us at birth and of this magical land nestled between the river and the mountains, has forged our character. We are resistant and strong like the granite of Montemuro. We are calm – I would dare to say “contemplative poets” – like the quiet waters of the Douro River that flow at our feet.

Cinfães is more than a place lost on a map and difficult to reach: it is an identity that shapes us, an indelible mark that always accompanies us, a sign of belonging, of personal and community identification.

I am deeply grateful for this recognition: grateful above all to God in whom we move, breathe and exist.

I would also like to thank Dr. Serafim Rodrigues, the mayor in office, above all for the friendship that has bound us for many years. And I say thank you to each one of you for your closeness.

May the Lord of Life and Mission bless us all.”

Meeting of the over-seventies in Viseu

From the evening of 11^th to 13^th June, the usual meeting of the confrères of the province who are over seventy years of age took place in Viseu. This initiative of the Secretariat of Ongoing Formation has the objective of helping the confrères of this age group to keep alive the dimension of ongoing formation in their lives.

While last year’s meeting focused on the treatments (medical and otherwise) to be taken into account in the process of psychophysical aging (led by Brother Jorge, of the Brothers of Saint John of God), this year’s event, focused on the theme ‘Relationships between people in advanced age’, was led by Sister Paula Carneiro, of the Hospitaller Sisters of Idanha. The day of reflection was accompanied by two Zoom sessions.

Sister Paula approached the theme starting from the encyclical Dilexit nos, presenting the love of Christ as a model of relationships in apostolic fraternity, and underlining the importance of the heart as a place of encounter and communion between people, and as a space for building fraternal relationships. The heart has to do with communication with others in a twofold way: first, as the place of our self-awareness, that is, of awareness of ourselves and our identity; second, as the place of awareness of otherness, of others and of our identity, of the Other and his presence.

A moment of shared reflection followed between the participants, which developed around three questions proposed by Sister Paula:

• what gifts are there in me that favour fraternal communication?

• what resistances, present in me but not visible, hinder life in fraternity?

• in this stage of my life, what is the Lord asking of me?

The sharing proved fruitful in terms of rediscovering personal gifts in view of authentic communication in the community and overcoming personal resistance. This return to the heart in fraternal life becomes particularly important in a missionary and apostolic community, such as the Comboni community, even if composed of elderly people. We may lose our physical senses in old age, but we cannot lose the spiritual senses of the heart, to recognise the signs of God and to live in communion with Christ and with others.

The second day of the meeting was dedicated to a pleasant excursion to the heights of the Serra da Estrela, precisely in São Romão, in Seia, where we visited the Natural Museum of Electricity, celebrated the Eucharist and then went up to Lagoa Comprida after enjoying a good lunch. In the late afternoon we returned to Viseu.

The participants expressed their appreciation to the community of Viseu (especially to Father Xavier) and to the commission of ongoing formation, with the hope that more of us will attend the next meeting and… have our youth restored. (Father Manuel Augusto L. Ferreira, mccj)

UGANDA

Moroto: Consecration of the Cathedral of the Merciful Love of Jesus

On a day that will remain etched in the hearts and minds of our community, the Cathedral of the Merciful Love of Jesus in the Diocese of Moroto in northeastern Uganda was solemnly consecrated on Saturday, 24^th May 2025, marking a significant milestone in our journey of faith. The ceremony, attended by parishioners from across the diocese and neighbouring dioceses, men and women religious, community leaders, and guests of honour—including, in particular, Her Excellency the Hon. Jessica Alupo, Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, and the Ambassador of Italy to Uganda—was a splendid testimony to our commitment to spiritual growth, unity, and service.

The event opened with a joyous procession and the opening of the doors of the cathedral, led by the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda, Msgr. Luigi Bianco, accompanied by seven bishops: Msgr. Damiano Guzzetti (diocese of Moroto), Msgr. Emmanuel Obbo (Archdiocese of Tororo), Msgr. Dominic Eibu (Diocese of Kotido), Msgr. Eciru Joseph Oliach (Diocese of Soroti), Msgr. Sabino Ochan Odoki (Diocese of Arua), Msgr. Giuseppe Filippi (Bishop Emeritus of Kotido), Msgr. John Baptist Odama (Archbishop Emeritus of Gulu), along with numerous local priests and lay faithful. The atmosphere was filled with a palpable sense of reverence and joy as thousands of people gathered to witness this sacred occasion. The church, adorned with flowers and decorated with bright banners, was transformed into a vivid tapestry of faith, hope and community. During the ceremony, the nuncio gave a moving homily on the importance of this cathedral church as a sanctuary of worship, fraternity and mission. He emphasised that this new cathedral, which replaces the Regina Mundi Cathedral, is much more than a physical structure: it is a place and a sign of God’s presence among his people, a place where friendships are born, lives are transformed and the love of God is shared. He also said that the cathedral is the bishop’s church, the mother of all the churches in the diocese, and in it the Church of Christ – one, holy, catholic and apostolic – is present and alive.

The assembly listened attentively, reflecting on the many blessings that our Church has brought into their lives.

After the homily, the rite of consecration took place, during which sacred blessings were imparted to the church and the altar was dedicated as a focal point of worship through the anointing with chrism oil; the walls of the church were also anointed. The rite included the sprinkling of holy water to symbolise new life and purification, the lighting of candles and the blessing of the tabernacle.

The musical accompaniment throughout the Eucharistic celebration, provided by our talented choir and musicians, filled the church with joyful hymns and sacred melodies, adding to the spiritual atmosphere of the day. The congregation participated in harmony, creating an inspired chorus of voices that reflected the joy of the occasion. Many expressed gratitude for the tireless efforts of all who contributed to the realisation of the church, from the financiers to the workers and designers and to the volunteers who dedicated countless hours, months and years to make this dream a reality. (Damiano Guzzetti – Bishop of Moroto)

LET US PRAY FOR OUR BELOVED DEAD

THE MOTHER: Elisabeth, of Brother Bernhard Hengl (DSP).

THE BROTHERS: Julio, of Father Rubio Aguerri José (E); Hubert, of Father Josef Gerner (DSP).

THE SISTERS: Beatriz, of Father Huamán Inga Máximo (PE); Rocío (“La Nena”), of Father Aguiñaga Pantoja Guillermo (MEX).

THE COMBONI SISTERS: Sister Giancostanza Ramus (I); Sister Milena Agata Zanet (I); Sister Bianchi Laura (I).