Ave Maria!

Brazil: Land of Fire... Thirsting for God!

It is clear that any generalization becomes dangerous and superficial if it is taken absolutely.

The youth demand help in their extreme interior loneliness, often resorting to violence. The search for God demands absolute silence, finding in this the strength and courage to get out of the circle. Only in this way does one gain true interior liberty and become the protagonist of one’s own life — choosing, yes, the only possible GOOD: Jesus.

Our Institute has Houses in East- Central Brazil, in Anápolis which is located in the State of Goiás. For motives of apostolate, I have had the opportunity of going to other places (in the Northeast, to be exact). On February 27, a small delegation of friars and sisters departed for various places. In the friars’ car there were three postulants from the area who indicated the roads to take and who organized the meetings we were to have where we went.

The first stop of our trip was Salvador, the capital of Bahia. Traveling “horizontally” through the State of Bahia (about 1,600 miles from Anápolis), the countryside rapidly changed: entire expanses of green gave way to the “Chapadas” (“hills” in the form of a trapezoid, characteristic and exclusive of Brazil); entire rice and soybean plantations alternating with arid countryside. In this arid zone stood small villages of 4-5 houses that were connected to each other; they were almost completely deprived of water. The women had to go once a week to the nearest place where there was a river to wash their clothes… and here one can make a personal and necessary reflection- what about us?

Upon entering Salvador, one immediately notices being in the capital. A billboard informs us: smile because you are in the city of happiness, of the most important carnival of Brazil. The European imprint is more evident here: “antique” buildings; some Churches from the 1500’s; the construction of the houses and other buildings; the structural organization of the city. And next to all this wealth, in the adjacent neighborhoods, are the “favelas” (“slums”) with all of their cultural, economic and moral poverty. Suddenly, while looking at the city, I recognized in the air a “very” familiar scent that grew ever stronger… and I found myself at the ocean.

While traveling, we first went to Salvador where we stopped for two days for the apostolate; and on the way back we stopped there for another four days. We had meetings with the youth of the area in search of their vocation. On Palm Sunday (thanks be to God!) we had a procession full of people, right on the street of the carnival. It ended with the celebration of the Holy Mass, celebrated by the Bishop of the city and concelebrated by many priests, among whom was Fr. Dolindo, FI. Father’s presence (other than guaranteeing us daily Holy Mass) proved to be indispensable for giving direction to all of the youth that asked to be listened to. Father was so untiring in his missionary zeal that 4 boys returned home with the friars.

After Salvador, we left for the city of Maceio, capital of the State of Alagoas. We made intermediate stops in the cities of Battaglia and Arapiraca. The distances (from one place to another) in Brazil are enormous. We traveled for entire hours, stopping often to ask in charity gas, food and other things - everything was given in abundance! In the evening, we sometimes arrived tired and sleepy but happy to bring the Immaculate, who is the only one capable of preparing and opening hearts to the coming of Jesus.

The reason for the trip was to make ourselves known as an Institute and to invite the youth to make an experience with us — a retreat far away from everything and everyone. The Immaculate always rewards our small efforts: one girl came back with us who, today, is an aspirant. Many girls asked to be able to come. Some of them asked to immediately return with us, but their families were not prepared for this unexpected detachment and, worried also about the distance, they prevented the girls from coming back with us. We hope that this prohibition is only momentary. The only thing that remains possible for us to do is to pray and ask the grace from the One who is the Medianeira de todas as Graças (Mediatrix of all Graces) for their correspondence to the call to the religious life.