The jubilee year theme calls us to be pilgrims, specifically, pilgrims of hope. The theme calls upon us to embark on a journey of faith with hope. But who is a pilgrim and why are pilgrimages important? The word pilgrimage is not new in the Holy Scripture, the magisterium, and in the history of the Church. Genesis 12:1 is often cited as the first experience of pilgrimage.

In this passage, God calls Abraham to get out of his country, from his family, from his father’s house, to go to the land that God will indicate to him. From this arises an understanding that a pilgrimage embeds faith and obedience to God’s call.

A pilgrim embarks on a journey, one not driven by adventure or the discovery of a cosmological fact. The journey of a pilgrim is thus motivated by faith and a desire for a deeper encounter with God, closeness to him, culminating in what could be described as a religious experience.

The letter to the Philippians chapter 3:20, puts it as a journey towards heaven. Heaven, eschatologically speaking, is where we will have full communion with God, for we will see him as he is (1 Corinthians 13:12). This verse brings a generic view that life on earth is a pilgrimage to heaven, to eternity. No wonder we yearn for communion with our creator, feeling his closeness to us, but also our closeness to him. So, a pilgrimage is a journey on earth towards contemplation of what is heavenly.

The late Pope Benedict XVI says that when “a pilgrim makes the journey, he or she comes out of self to encounter God in a place where he revealed himself or where his grace shone with particular grace and splendour and has produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe.” Thus, the conversion and holiness are the impacts created in the journey of change of place from the known to the unknown, from the ordinary to the mysterious. It is a journey marked by prayer, spiritual yearning, and thirst, as the Psalmist in Psalm 63 would say, “like a parched land, my soul thirsts for you, my God.” This yearning leads the pilgrim to a journey of discovery in order to satisfy the desire for God.

Pilgrimages in the Church have existed for a long time. Monasticism came about because of pilgrims who would embark on journeys of solitude into the desert, into the wilderness, in order to draw close to God without worldly distractions. There have been several pilgrimages to the Holy Land, to sites of apparitions, or birthplaces of saints. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer in the Church.

These journeys express a yearning to be like the saints, or they can also be done to seek God’s forgiveness and repentance for sinners. We should always note that a pilgrimage is a journey of faith, of prayer, of a desired change. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 2691, pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer.

Therefore, pilgrimages are not just wonders, nor are pilgrims destitute. Their focus is on God and to experience the mystery and or a healing communion with Him. As a catholic, you have a chance to make a pilgrimage this jubilee year, a journey that will draw you closer to God and bring change to your life. Where and when are you going on pilgrimage?

By Fr. Nicholas Onyait MCCJ

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The Comboni Missionaries and Their Mission

The Comboni Missionaries are members of an international Catholic missionary family inspired by the vision and charism of Saint Daniel Comboni. Their mission is centered on spreading the Gospel, serving the poor and abandoned, and accompanying people in their journey of faith and human development. The Comboni family is made up of Priests, Brothers, Sisters, and Lay Missionaries, each contributing uniquely to the mission of the Church.

Comboni Priests – MCCJ

The Comboni Priests are members of an international missionary institute dedicated entirely to evangelization and pastoral ministry. As priests, they are called to preach the Word of God, celebrate the sacraments, and guide the faithful in their spiritual growth. They serve as mediators between God and humanity through the administration of sacraments such as the Eucharist, Baptism, Reconciliation, and Marriage.

Their missionary work often takes them to remote and underserved communities where the Gospel has not yet been fully proclaimed. The Comboni Priests are deeply committed to first evangelization and to making Christ known among people who may have little or no access to the Christian faith.

What do they do?

• Promote and strengthen missionary awareness among the people of God
• Carry out first evangelization in mission territories
• Encourage and form missionary vocations
• Administer the sacraments and provide pastoral care
• Accompany communities in faith formation and spiritual growth

Comboni Brothers – MCCJ

The Comboni Brothers are consecrated religious missionaries who are not ordained priests. They evangelize through their professional skills and practical service to communities. Their work reflects the dignity of labor and demonstrates Christian values through action and service.

The Brothers work in various professions such as construction, mechanics, carpentry, administration, agriculture, medicine, and technical services. Through these skills, they contribute to the development and empowerment of local communities, especially among the poor and marginalized.

What do they do?

• Serve communities through professional and technical work
• Promote human development and social transformation
• Witness the Gospel through hard work and dedication
• Support social and pastoral ministries
• Encourage the dignity and value of work

Comboni Missionary Sisters

The Comboni Missionary Sisters are women consecrated to God in a religious and exclusively missionary institute founded “from mission and for mission.” Their vocation is to proclaim the Gospel, especially among the poorest, most abandoned, and those who have not yet encountered Christ.

The Sisters live and work in multicultural communities, offering witness through simplicity, service, and dedication. They focus not only on evangelization but also on the holistic development of individuals and communities, with particular attention to women, children, and vulnerable groups.

What do they do?

• Announce the Gospel through missionary outreach
• Promote the integral development of the human person
• Form and empower local leaders, especially women
• Witness Christian values through their lifestyle and service
• Work in places where open proclamation of the Gospel may be difficult
• Help the Church remain committed to its missionary calling

Lay Missionaries – CMLU

The Comboni Lay Missionaries (CMLU) are baptized Catholic men and women, married or single, inspired by the missionary spirit of Saint Daniel Comboni. They dedicate their talents, professions, and life skills to serving the poor and spreading the Gospel through daily witness.

Unlike religious priests or sisters, lay missionaries continue living within society while actively participating in missionary activities. Their work often focuses on education, health care, social work, youth empowerment, and advocacy for vulnerable groups.

What do they do?

• Offer psychosocial and peer support to vulnerable communities
• Work with youth, persons with disabilities, and people living with HIV/AIDS
• Serve in fields such as education, media, engineering, carpentry, administration, and social work
• Witness Christian values through professional and personal life
• Promote hope, justice, and human dignity

Entry Requirements

Those interested in joining the Comboni Missionaries are expected to demonstrate strong Christian values, commitment, and readiness for missionary life.

General Requirements

• Must come from a good Christian family background
• Should lead a committed Christian life
• Must be in good health
• Should possess discipline, maturity, and a spirit of service

Academic Requirements

• A maximum of 38 aggregates in the best 8 subjects at Ordinary Level, including a credit in English
• “O” and “A” Level qualifications are required for candidates joining the Sisters
• At least 10 points (2 principal passes) for Arts or 8 points for Sciences at Advanced Level, including a pass in General Paper

Age Requirements

• Candidates for Priests and Brothers should not be more than 25 years old at the time of joining
• Candidates for the Sisters should be between 18 and 28 years old

Additional Requirement for Brothers

• Aspirants for the Brotherhood should possess practical or technical skills that can support missionary service

The Comboni Missionary family continues to play an important role in evangelization, education, health care, and social transformation around the world. Inspired by the vision of Saint Daniel Comboni, they remain committed to serving humanity with faith, compassion, and dedication.

The final moments of Pope Leo XIV’s 11-day apostolic journey to Africa were more than the Eucharistic celebration at Equatorial Guinea’s Malabo Stadium; they were a convergence of lived testimonies captured in one phrase: “a profound experience of faith.”

At the packed event at the stadium on April 23, the Holy Father formally concluded his visit with Mass, closing a four-nation pastoral visit that took him to 11 cities in northern, central, and southern Africa. “The time has come for me to say farewell to Equatorial Guinea and also to Africa,” Pope Leo XIV said at the end of the Mass, situating his departure within what he termed a grace-filled journey “that God has allowed me to make.”

He reflected on the significance of his April 13–23 encounters in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, stating: “I carry from Africa an invaluable treasure of faith, hope, and charity.” Those who spoke to ACI Africa at the concluding Mass expressed a comparable assessment, also characterizing Pope Leo XIV’s presence on the continent as a treasure.

‘A profound experience of faith’

For Father Jose Fernando Liso, 44, the defining takeaway lay less in the logistical success than in its spiritual benefits. “I believe it has been a profound experience of faith,” he told ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa.

Situating the events of the papal visit within the collective effort of the clergy, women and men religious, and the lay faithful, the parish priest of St. Anthony Abad Parish of the Archdiocese of Malabo said the experience “has involved fatigue, hard work, ups and downs.”

Yet for Liso its real significance will be measured in its aftermath, he said, emphasizing the virtue of responsibility. “The responsibility, the growth of our nation as a Church and of our nation as a whole, depends on the responsible decisions that each of us … make,” he said, referencing a key theme he attributed to the Holy Father’s broader reflections during his maiden trip to Africa as pope.

Also at Malabo Stadium for the closing Mass was Maria Lourdes Ndong Esono, 57, who framed her experience through a recollection that links two papacies across decades. “We were thrilled with the pope’s visit; it couldn’t have come at a better time,” she said.

Esono recalled “walking from Malabo to the airport to see Pope John Paul II” alongside her pregnant mother in February 1982 and expressing gratitude, adding: “Today I got to see Leo XIV.”

Encouragement amid loss and uncertainty

For Sister Gertrude Ehizokhale of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary, Pope Leo XIV’s impact was both affective and pastoral. Having served in Equatorial Guinea for nearly two years, the native of Nigeria interpreted the papal visit through the lens of missionary presence and local context.

“I’m so happy because the pope came all the way from Rome to visit us,” she said. Her reaction to the Holy Father’s homily focused on its motivational dimension: “His words … really gave me that more encouragement.”

More specifically, she pointed to the pope’s reference to the death, in controversial circumstances, of Father Fortunato Nsue Esono, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Malabo, just days before the arrival of the Holy Father in Equatorial Guinea.

For Ehizokhale, the pope’s words of consolation and call for truth and justice at the beginning of his homily functioned as a stabilizing intervention. “That encouraged us … [who] were a bit discouraged,” she said.

From the papal homily, she highlighted a call to generosity, “not to be attached to only to ourselves but to others also, learn to give” as well as a preferential concern for the poor, which she interpreted as a source of consolation and the assurance “that we have God on our side.”

Peace, joy, and national framing

Narciso Pedro Nsue, the president of Radio Maria Equatorial Guinea, situated the papal visit within a broader communicative and national context. “The pope brings peace, joy, and hope to the entire country,” Narciso told ACI Africa.

He emphasized that Equatorial Guinea as “the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa,” suggesting that the presence of Pope Leo XIV in his native country carries representational significance beyond strictly ecclesial boundaries.

For 19-year-old Ricardo Bibang Bonsundi, a representative of the Bixió tribe who was at the stadium adorned in traditional attire, he attended “to extend greetings and welcome to the people and to Pope Leo XIV.”

By ACI Africa