Fr. Andrew Bwalya was a young man living in Zambia when he first met the Comboni Missionaries. He was inspired by the dedication and work of these missionaries. They rented a house in the village to live among the people they were serving. They learned the local language. They truly integrated themselves into the community.

After witnessing their commitment and learning about the life of St. Daniel Comboni, Andrew knew he was going to become a Comboni Missionary.

On Wednesday, July 19, Fr. Andrew shared this story and many others at Meet the Missionaries Night in Cincinnati, Ohio. Every year missionaries from Africa and South America travel to the United States to visit parishes throughout the country, promoting their mission. While they are in Cincinnati preparing for their mission appeals, the community is invited to a special Meet the Missionaries evening. This is a time for friends and supporters of the Comboni Missionaries, and interested people to learn more about the missions and our work around the world.

Fr. Andrew also talked about his work at New People Media Centre in Kenya. New People is a Comboni magazine printed in English for nine African countries. It is printed every other month and has a wealth of information about everything from climate change to married life.

After Fr. Andrew spoke, Fr. Ramon Vargas Eguez talked about his mission at the St. Daniel Comboni Spirituality Centre in Uganda. The Spirituality Centre is a place for prayer, reflection, and retreat. It is used by many local groups, religious and non-religious, for retreats and gatherings. The grounds offer a beautiful, quiet escape perfect for prayer.

During the question and answer session at the end, the crowd was privileged to hear Fr. Jean-Marie Noel Munketalingi sing a song he wrote about Mother Mary. The song reminds us that none of us are orphans because we all have Mary as our Mother.

The crowd also heard from Fr. Placide Majambo Lutumba Petit. He talked about his experience being shot in the back in South Sudan while traveling with companions. After a successful surgery in Kenya, he returned to his mission in South Sudan. He describes what happened to him as an accident. The people he serves are kind and loving. Unfortunately, bad things can happen anywhere. Fr. Placide was happy and excited to return to his mission, where he knew his people were waiting for him.

Click the link below to view the presentation from Meet the Missionaries Night.
MTM Presentation 2017
Click the link below to view the program from Meet the Missionaries Night.
MTM Program 2017