A Comboni Missionary living in South Sudan, a conflict-torn country, talks to us about the importance of the signs of mercy during this Jubilee Year – a year of promoting forgiveness and mercy, inaugurated by Pope Francis in December. Under the shade of a tree in the woods, fifty catechists are listening carefully to Father …
“We have to recreate in our hearts and homes this spiritual experience by thinking of the great challenges that befell Jesus from His birth.” – Father Shay Cullen Christmas has become a secular, unspiritual holiday. These days, the word Christmas is not used on festive banners. Greetings have changed to “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings”, …
In Sri Lanka, December has always been a popular month – because it’s harvest time. After the first conversions to Catholicism in the 16th century, the month was renamed “Nattal rnase”, which literally means “Christmas month”. Today, celebrations remain a mixture of harvest festival and Christian traditions. Sri Lanka today is a predominantly Sinhala-Buddhist state. …
The Mexican Christmas celebration is a combination of Christian spirit and indigenous traits – a fiesta featuring colours, dancing, songs, and joy. Even though the official liturgical preparation for Christmas begins with the First Sunday of Advent, and December 25 remains the centre of the liturgical and secular celebrations in Mexico, the celebrations begin long …
In Peru, Christmas celebrations start towards the end of November. There are a variety of fairs across the country where gifts of every kind are sold, and entire cities are decorated with lights which represent the Christmas message. During the first days of December, the nativity scene is set up in homes and churches. Wheat …
Because of their global presence, the Comboni Missionaries have an insight into how Christmas is celebrated in different ways around the world, with a variety of symbols deeply embedded in every different cultural tradition. We look at how people from Guatemala celebrate Christmas. Christmas in the Central American country of Guatemala begins on 8 December, …
To advance evangelisation is every missionary’s mission and purpose. Father Randy Recalde, from the Philippines, talks about his missionary experience in Peru. I arrived in Peru in 2011. After a period of preparation, I joined the Comboni community of Pangoa, and after a year, I was assigned as parish priest of San Martin. Peru is …
As previously reported, South Sudan has been afflicted with a new wave of civil war for two years now, since December 2013. The sustained work the Comboni Missionaries carry out in the country is sadly just a drop in the ocean for the deepening crisis. In two years of conflict, tens of thousands of people …
An Audience with Pope Francis for the Comboni Missionaries from Comboni Missionaries on Vimeo.
On 8 December, Pope Francis gave a homily in St. Peter’s Square for the Mass which opened the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy and marked the Marian Solemnity. As part of the inauguration of a year that will see the Catholic Church promoting mercy and forgiveness, he opened the holy door at St. Peter’s Basilica in …
