The workshop to reflect on “The Role of Lay People in the Comboni Mission” was organized by the Comboni Centre for Spirituality & Mission in Chiswick, London, with the collaboration of Sr Inma Cuesta, from the Centre of Communication, in Rome.
Sharing
United in the same Mission
Praying as a Group
A workshop to consolidate the journey
The workshop initiative came after five and a half years from the establishment of the Comboni Centre in October 2016 and the time seemed now ripe to collect some fruits of our work and plant new seeds to grow and mature. For the past years Comboni Centre became a dedicated place exclusively to offer lay people a wide open door for their spiritual growth and systematically help them become fully involved in the missionary projects of the Comboni Sisters. The contact with each person often happens accidently in a first personal encounter, but it never stops there. Without wasting the opportunity there follows the invitation to visit us for a cup of coffee or tea, to take part in our spiritual programme by attending one of our missionary prayer groups or monthly retreats, to volunteer for one of our activities or become actively involved in our missionary projects. It is not only the doors of the house that are opened to welcome the good will of everyone. There is a constant attitude of the heart that gives the other person her right to be special and unique, which creates a friendly environment for the personal gifts to be shared with generosity. This unequivocal language has certainly helped to generate a good lay community that intentionally wants to be more connected with the sisters in their mission as a way of serving the mission of the church. Therefore, a workshop to feel the missionary pulse of the lay participation and to further a reflection on their interaction with our communities worldwide will be a valuable contribution to our next General Chapter in October.
Oasis for spiritual refreshment
There has been some uniqueness in the approach of the Comboni Centre in Chiswick that makes the place so much appreciated by the laity: hospitality that “enables people to be treated as individuals and not lost in the crowd”. It was Bishop John Wilson who brought the best definition in a letter addressed to the former Provincial Superior of the Sisters in the Europe Province on 14th May 2018, when he was auxiliary bishop of the Westminster Cathedral. He was asking the Congregation to realise that: – in his own words- “the smaller size of the Comboni Centre means it can offer an intimate setting where groups can reflect the Christian life and the call to holiness, so beautifully expressed by Pope Francis in Gaudete et Exsultate”. He continued saying that more people would find in the Sister’s mission an “oasis for spiritual refreshment”.
The way of relating with each individual by offering the gift of sisterhood and friendship in a simple ordinary way is the magnetic force. But it could not be in this way if not sustained by a Charism that wants to make common cause with each person at individual level as a path to freedom from slavery bonds for the service of others, like the disciples in the Gospel. Some lay people are asking to know it better, as it was recently expressed by Paul Maley and his wife Marisa at the end of a day session on Couples’ Relationships. “Share with us the richness of your Charism. I’d like to be more part of it! I’ve been attending mass every Sunday in this parish since I moved to Chiswick seven years ago. How could it take so long for me to learn about this welcoming and inspiring place that gave me the desire to explore the hidden treasures of your mission here at home and worldwide?” The workshop on the lay people, that took place only a week before, can be seen as to signal a missionary future where mixed communities for Evangelization will include lay people working side by side with the Sisters. A good topic for the General Chapter in October 2022!
Sr Graça Almeida
Missionary at London
