MOZ 24 - BEING A MISSIONARY PRESENCE
Project Location
The project is carried out in Mozambique, in several parishes where the Comboni Missionaries are present. In the northern region, the parishes assisted are Balama, Nacala, Nampula and Nampula – Muahivire.
Balama is located in the Cabo Delgado region, included in the Diocese of Pemba and is made up of 64 small Christian communities.
Nacala is a port town, the community is located in Bairro Ontupaia where the population is mostly made up of women, young people and children. The parish is made up of 16 communities, 5 of which are in the neighborhood where we live.
The community of Nampula is present in the parish of S. José, adjacent to the house of the community of the sisters. The parish, which is very large, includes 19 prayer nuclei and three communities. Nampula-Muahivire is a suburb of the city of Nampula where the parish of S. Francisco Xavier is located.
In the central area the community of Mangunde, Chibabava district, Sofala province assists two parishes, that of the seat with the name of S. Francesco di Assisi and that of S. Marco Evangelista in Chibabava which is about 13 kilometers away. The two parishes have a total of 30 Christian communities very distant from each other and with very difficult access roads.
The pastoral work of the Maputo community is carried out in different parishes of the same Archdiocese: the parish of S. Anna which is located in the city, the parish of Benfica and Muamba is located on the outskirts 50 kilometers from the center and has 8 communities very far from the parish and with difficult roads especially in rainy weather.
The community of Mamelodi (South Africa) is located in the outskirts of Pretoria, in the parish of St. Daniel Comboni. In this neighborhood the population is exclusively black as it arose during the apartheid period.
Project description
The pastoral service in the parishes and communities where we are present consists of the formation of leaders such as catechists, leaders of communities or prayer groups, leaders of JPIC, women, young people, families, education in the care and protection of creation.
Visits are made to Christian communities for the celebration of the Word and accompaniment in their formation and growth in order to make them independent in the various ministries. In this service we are accompanied by lay people who collaborate with us and often support us with translation into local languages.
Objectives
- Contribute to an evangelization that leads to integral human promotion, to the construction of a Christian culture that allows a profound conversion through the experience of the encounter with the Risen Christ, producing fruits of communion and solidarity.
- Accompaniment of Christian communities so that they assume evangelization in their area and transform culture into life for all.
- Training of leaders in various sectors.
Local contribution
The pastoral agents, after receiving training, become promoters for the community. The communities support themselves by paying the expenses related to the maintenance of the chapel, small aids to the poor.
Beneficiaries
Direct: Heads of the various ministries present in the parishes Christian communities in rural areas Some sick and elderly people
Indirect: family and society
Referent sister of the project: Sr Beatriz Helena Pedraza García
Project's costs