Articolo pubblicato su Da Casa Madre marzo 2011

It all started with an official invitation from the General Superior of Consolata Missionaries (IMC) in Rome, Fr. Micheleangelo, asking our Regional Superior of Kenya-Uganda region to send two representatives of lay Missionaries for an International meeting in Rome. Representatives from various countries of the continents of; Africa, Europe, and South America started arriving at the General house of IMC in Rome on 6th January 2011.
Four days were set aside for a pilgrimage to Turin and Castelnouvo-the land of Saints; John Bosco, Joseph Cafasso and Blessed Joseph Allamano, the founder of Consolata Missionaries (IMC and MC).
During the pilgrimage, the CLM participants to the international meeting went visited the Allamano home, a simple and ordinary home, but filled with marks humility and saintly life! We ended the day with mass in the chapel at our founder’s house.
The visit to the Consolata shrine and the “Corretto” where our founder, Blessed Joseph Allamano used to feel a one to one conversation with our Lady Consolata, crowned it all! Each one of us in his or her way felt a new breeze, a feeling of an embrace with her presence. We had mass here led by Fr. Antonio Rovelli, such a great beauty it was at the shrine!
We indeed traced our roots, meandered through the paths our founder trekked, during his life time and, listening to the story of his life, seeing the evidences of his works, we got profoundly struck and realized how extraordinary a man Blessed Joseph Allamano was!
Another strong impression on our hearts was the depth of Christian life and witness that the works of Saints; John Bosco, Joseph Cafasso, Joseph Benedito Cottolengo stamps on the life of the catholic church and human history.
We had mass at the tomb of our founder Blessed Joseph Allamano on the last day of our pilgrimage.

CLM international meeting went on from 9th-16th January 2011. It was a historic meeting indeed! Representatives from various countries
shared experiences; Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Liberia for Africa, Italy, Spain and Portugal
for Europe and, Venezuela, Argentina, Colombia and Brazil for South America.
The moment of sharing experiences was so enriching and great! The experiences shared enabled all the CLM participants to have a clear awareness that they all belonged to the same Family and shared the same Charisma, spirituality and, same mission of Blessed Joseph Allamano.
The diversity in terms of culture, social, economic and historical realities was discovered to be a richness and an opportunity in the wider family of the Consolata Missionaries.
At the end of it all, the voice was one and, the determination was for CLM to walk the missionary Journey helped by our elders; Fathers, Sisters and Brothers for effective Lay Missionary formation, increasing of our communication and coordination at Local, Regional, Continental and International levels.
Thanks to the Regional Superiors who invited us all, thanks to the European Continental CLM group that organized the meeting and thanks to our formatters.

Written by Juluis and Carolyne Masiga
LMC Uganda-Kenya