Herbs & Plants: Aloe, the real magic of African nature
It is found in nature, is native to Africa, and is a real cure-all for the skin and more, especially in summer when sunburn and rashes are always a danger: we are talking about the aloe, a truly miraculous vegetable. The aloe is a perennial succulent plant or shrub that can reach a height of […]
Vocation Story: “God is always present”
Marco Antonio Faria, a Brazilian Comboni missionary brother, shares his vocational journey and the mission he carries out among the Nuer in South Sudan. I feel very satisfied with the path to which God has called me and which I have agreed to follow. Previously I had some goals in life that I was trying […]
China: Matteo Ricci – the dialogue of friendship with the celestial empire
The father of the Chinese Church has been declared venerable by Pope Francis. The great Jesuit brought the Gospel to China through friendship and cultural and scientific dialogue. “For me, China has always been a benchmark of greatness. A great country. But more than a country, a great culture with inexhaustible wisdom. As a child, […]
Pope Francis Message for Lent 2023: “Our Lenten journey is synodal”
Pope Francis takes his inspiration from the Gospel account of the Transfiguration, proclaimed each year on the Second Sunday of Lent, he said: “During this liturgical season, the Lord takes us with him to a place apart. While our ordinary commitments compel us to remain in our usual places and our often repetitive and sometimes […]
The Youth Corner: Pope Francis to Congolese youth – “From your hands a different future, because the future is in your hands”
Looking at the hands with which a different future can be built, Pope Francis suggests “five ingredients for the future”, like the five fingers. In the stadium of the Martyrs of Kinshasa, 65,000 young Congolese welcome Pope Francis with songs and dances, with unimaginable joy in a country torn apart by violence and wars. The […]
Mission Diary: A Tiny Hospital in Chad Keeps Hope Alive
“St. Joseph Hospital needs at least five doctors,” says Sister Susan Akullo. “At the moment, there are three of us. One has worked here at least ten years without a break, so we will soon be just two.” Since 1994, the Comboni Missionaries have kept the doors open here twenty-four hours a day. Doctors and […]
Vocation story: Walking together
A simple sign of the cross leads him to discover God’s call in his life. Fr. Raoul Sohouénou Cakpo Edènan, Comboni Missionary from Benin, talks about it. I was born in 1981 in Cové 159 kilometres from the Beninese capital, Cotonou. I am the sixth of 14 brothers and sisters. I was born into a […]
Yvette Mushigo: Breaking the Silence
The Congolese activist and jurist Yvette Mushigo is the coordinator of the Synergie des Femmes pour la Paix et la Réconciliation (SPR), a network of associations operating in Bukavu (DRC) for women to know and claim their rights. “There are many types of violence that are perpetrated against women. From discrimination in employment and sexual […]
Nicaragua: Bishop Alvarez sentenced to 26 years imprisonment
Bishop Rolando Jose Alvarez Lagos of Matagalpa has been sentenced to more than 26 years in prison. He was convicted of “treason, undermining national integrity and spreading false news”, among other charges. The judge of the Appeals Court of Managua also announced that he would be fined and stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship. The sentence […]
Mission Diary: Father P. Longinos – “Being a reference point”
I am in the parish of Kanawat, in the land of the Karimojong, in north-eastern Uganda. The irregular rains of recent years have brought us through a period of poor harvests. There are areas where things are better, but in others, there are people who need help. From the parish, we are supporting different groups […]