South Sudan: Catholic Cathedral Becomes Refuge For Displaced People
The Catholic cathedral in Wau, South Sudan’s second largest city, is now a sanctuary for more than 10,000 people who have fled the country’s vicious civil war, but with insecurity rife and markets collapsed, help is scarce and food is in short supply. Saint Mary’s Cathedral, a solid red-brick building, soars above the many crowded […]
Kenya – Turkana: “The Rite Of Passage”
The Turkana are a Nilotic people native to the Turkana District in northwest Kenya. Turkana number 856 thousand, or 2.5%, of the Kenyan population, making the Turkana the third largest Nilotic ethnic group in Kenya. We look at the rite of initiation for the boys. A boy cannot become an adult, until he undergoes the […]
Kenya & Tanzania: The Importance Of The Environment Among The Maasai
The Maasai live in the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya and Tanzania. The environment is very important to the community, especially in ceremonies. Hills are considered to be important in ceremonies such as rain sacrifices. The Maasai believe that God lives in hills and, therefore, hills are very important because of peace. When seeking […]
Summer Camp 2017: On The Way
Taking “On The Way” from the Gospel story of the disciples on their way to Emmaus as their theme, a group of young people from Portugal, Italy, Poland and England took part in the first edition of the Summer Camp organised by the Comboni Missionaries of the London Province. The young people were offered hospitality […]
Cuba: Guajira Guantanamera
The Guajira-son (Cuban popular song) known as La Guantanamera is famous the world over. The origin of its universal success. It hit the international airwaves in the 1960s, gaining the popularity it enjoyed on a national level in Cuba in the 1930s, and became one of those mysterious phenomena that sometimes occur in popular music. […]
Brazil: Paths Of Freedom
Mobilisation against pollution and injustice. Years of struggle to obtain the multinationals’ commitment to transferring the entire district of Piquiá de Baixo to a safe area far from pollution. The Comboni missionaries have supported the struggle of this community. A red powder coming from the smokestacks of the four steel companies – Gustavo Nordeste, Vale […]
Christians In The Middle East: Decreasing Numbers
There are over 14.5 million Christians in the Middle East. The numbers are decreasing, but deep roots keep the Church thriving. The total number of Middle-Eastern Christians – including Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Turkey, and the Holy City of Jerusalem – amount to 14,525,880 faithful. The total population […]
Uganda: In Desperate Need Of Peace
Fighting between government (SPLA) and armed opposition (SPLA-IO), forces in and around South Sudan’s Kajo-Keji County have made more than 100,000 people to flee to Uganda. Tens of thousands are living as internally displaced persons (IDPs), near the border between the two countries. As conflict intensified in the area early this year, much of Kajo-Keji’s […]
Democratic Republic Congo: Catholic Church Under Fire
Churches, convents, schools, priests and bishops are under threat by violent youth groups and by militias – all protected by powerful people. In the capital Kinshasa there are groups of youths, called koluna, who are trained in aggression and violence. They are protected by powerful people. Father Julien Wato, the Dominican priest of Saint Dominic’s […]
South Sudan: Witnesses Of Hope
Four years of war have deeply affected the women and children of South Sudan. A Comboni Sister tells of her journey at their side. The newest nation on the planet has not yet found peace. A clash in the capital Juba in December 2013, between the followers of Rick Macker of the Nuer tribe and […]