Fr. José Luis de Menezes speaks to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the origins of the Fazendas da Esperança, a network of rehabilitation centres, and their connection, to this day, with the pontifical charity. Fr. ”Our communities are dedicated to salvaging the dignity of people who have lost themselves to addiction,” says …
Continue reading “Brazil: Rescuing God’s children from the slavery of addiction”
A riverboat for an Amazonian parish The Diocese of Humaitá lies deep in the Amazon region and serves a vast area of around 135,000 km². Most of it is covered by rainforest, however, and is only sparsely populated. Many of the communities lie on the riverbanks and can only be reached via water. The river …
The international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is in close contact with its local partners in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, the areas worst affected by the floods, and is committed to helping with recovery efforts. Torrential rain has already led to the deaths of around 150 people and …
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is helping the local Church serve new and growing communities of people who are moving from rural to urban areas, often in poor conditions. Millions of people continue to flock from rural areas in the remote Amazon region of Brazil to larger cities, hoping to find a better …
Continue reading “Brazil-Rapid urbanization poses pastoral challenges in the Amazon”
Subsistence aid for 30 religious sisters The Diocese of Cajazeiras lies in the northeast of Brazil, widely regarded as one of the poorest regions in the country. It is a region afflicted by severe droughts, and the people of this very rural area are for the most part very poor. Not surprisingly, the diocese also …
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) provides health support to elderly religious sisters in Northeast Brazil. Despite their age, the sisters remain very active in their communities, and continue to pray for their benefactors. Being a consecrated religious is a lifelong commitment, and the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in northeastern Brazil …
Continue reading “Brazil-Active elderly religious sisters thank ACN for support”
By evangelizing and helping the Ticuna Indigenous people, the Capuchin friars, with support from Aid to the Church in Need, are helping to preserve the Amazon rainforest. “I have never left this place, I know nothing of the world, but I believe in God. He gives me eternal life. I called the friars here to …
Continue reading “Brazil: Sowing the seeds of the Gospel in the Amazon”
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) was present at the latest bishops’ conference in Brazil, the largest Catholic country in the world. The pontifical charity used the opportunity to spend time with the bishops of the poorest dioceses, but also to share stories of Christian suffering from other countries, namely Nigeria. The international charity …
Continue reading “Brazil – Bishops moved to tears over help received from ACN benefactors”
In the Brazilian Amazon, a Capuchin friar shares the many efforts and trials necessary to spread the Gospel in this vast region and the help that makes it all possible. Friar Paolo Maria Braghini was returning to his mission one afternoon, after having gone to buy supplies in the city, when a cloud began to …
