“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gn 1:1). When we contemplate this passage of Scripture, we often focus our attention on the beauty of the heavens and the earth, and overlook the very first creature to emerge from the hands of the Divine Craftsman: time! “In the beginning”… as if the Most High turned an hourglass from eternity, and all things came into being according to periods of existence whose measurement He called time, divided into days and years (cf. Gn 1:14).
The march of time brings with it the memory of both long-past and more recent events that deserve to be recalled and commemorated, especially when the passing years have only marked the success of some important endeavour. This is what we wish to do here, filled with gratitude towards Divine Providence: remember the birth of Our Lady of Grace Parish, which this year celebrates its fifteenth anniversary, and its remarkable development in favour of the good of souls.
An evangelizing initiative is born
On that now seemingly long-ago August 5, 2009, two priests from the Diocese of Bragança Paulista, pastors of St. Rita of Cassia and of Our Lady of Exile parishes, concerned about the impossibility of providing adequate care for their parishioners, wrote to the then Diocesan Apostolic Administrator, Bishop José Maria Pinheiro, asking for the creation of a parish that would be separated from the territory of their jurisdiction, in Serra da Cantareira, São Paulo, given the enormous territorial extension they were responsible for. They suggested that it should be under the care of the priests of the Clerical Society of Apostolic Life Virgo Flos Carmeli, supported by the sisters of the Society of Apostolic Life Regina Virginum, both societies sprung forth from the bosom of the Heralds of the Gospel, which had many communities in this hilly region.
On the following October 18, in a solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Bishop José Maria Pinheiro himself, in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary – today a basilica – which had been provisionally chosen as its see, the Parish of Our Lady of Grace was erected, with the official inauguration of the new parish priest, Fr. Caio Newton de Assis Fonseca, EP.
It was a tremendous challenge to cover the 64,800 hectares of parish territory, with its twelve communities and respective chapels – one of which, Our Lady of Fatima, was housed in the social hall of a community centre – in which forty thousand inhabitants lived at the time. The region, made up of vast rural areas, many of them impoverished, as well as several middle-class urban developments, revealed great heterogeneity among the faithful.
In addition, the long distances typical of an urban forest and the dispersion of the neighbourhoods were a great hindrance in pastoral action, and the new evangelizers had to arm themselves with courage to face these obstacles.
Getting to know the field of action
“You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8), declared the Redeemer to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven.
In response to the Divine Master’s wish, the founder of the Heralds of the Gospel, Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, organized several days of Marian mission throughout the parish, in order to get to know in detail the field of evangelizing action and its needs, to take a census of Catholics – who were found to be in the majority – and to let them know of this recent initiative of the Catholic Church in the region, taking note of suggestions and requests.
The witness of the missionaries, clerics, sisters and laypeople, walking through streets and lanes, paths and roadways, with the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima or her shrine, marked those days. The Catholic population, at first surprised and curious, showed interest in participating in church life. The number of people who had abandoned the Faith due to the lack of Catholic religious assistance was not small.
Only 18 per cent of Catholics declared that they observed the Sunday precept; a slightly larger number observed it once a month; the majority confessed to participating in the Sunday Eucharist only sporadically, due to the lack of Masses in nearby chapels. Many asked for catechesis in order to receive the Sacraments, and hundreds of the faithful were willing to co-operate in pastoral work, be tithe-givers or join the Shrine Apostolate of Mary, Queen of Hearts.
Method and dedication for the sanctification of souls
The net was cast to catch souls (cf. Lk 5:10). New life filled the chapels of the recently founded parish, marked by the intense action of divine grace. The presence of priests led to the regular celebration of Holy Mass, and the priests were also involved in hearing Confessions, providing courses for the reception of various Sacraments, Christian initiation catechesis for children and adults, preaching retreats, visiting the sick, as well as other social works.
Enthusiasm was widespread. No effort or sacrifice was spared. Parishioners helped in any way they could, whether by cleaning and refurbishing the chapels, preparing readers to worthily participate in the Liturgy of the Word at Holy Mass, setting up choirs and even instrumental ensembles to animate the celebrations in a beautiful, pious and harmonious way, giving rise to the Parish ministries of Maintenance, Liturgy and Music.
Every Sunday, rain or shine, the chapels, which had previously been empty and many of them dilapidated, saw larger crowds of the faithful, who called on neighbours and acquaintances to take part in the Eucharistic celebrations. The Heralds of the Gospel put their vans or cars to use, with drivers, to pick up and drop home again parishioners without transportation who lived further away. This was the birth of the unprecedented Transport Ministry, which played an important role at the beginning of the new parish.
“Let the children come to Me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the Kingdom of God” (Mk 10:14), said the Divine Master. Children were not left out of this methodical and structured work, which began with such vigour. In addition to catechesis for First Communion, Perseverance or Confirmation, they began to receive in-depth courses on Catholic doctrine and altar service. The boys formed the traditional group of altar servers, assisting the priests at Mass. The girls, in honour of St. Martha who served the Lord, formed the group of “little Marthas”, dedicated to the care of the sacristy, the offertory procession, the choir and other liturgical needs. In addition, with the impetus typical of their age, they became true missionaries, often leading their entire families to prayer and sacramental life, especially through the example of sincere Eucharistic devotion in the communities.
In children’s catechesis and festivities, the Performing Arts Ministry was also formed, for the purpose of creating and producing theatrical performances, one of the oldest artistic manifestations of humanity and an excellent resource in the apostolate with current generations.
Reaching maturity
Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel in the parish’s first years, and currently
As the years went by, the parish attained maturity. Divine Providence was generous with graces and resources, both human and material. Many of the chapels were remodelled, becoming more dignified temples for worship, and some were even built from scratch.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel, for example, was originally so simple that it had no doors, roof tiles, or pews, but today it is finished, with an imposing bell tower and catechism rooms in a beautiful structure. The Our Lady of Fatima Community, which did not have a chapel, received a beautiful building, made up of a church, sacristy, classrooms, meeting room and a pavilion for events, and was elevated to an oratory by Most Rev. Sérgio Aparecido Colombo, the current Bishop of Bragança Paulista. Likewise, the old Chapel of St. Jude Thaddeus underwent major improvements and was chosen as the parish seat, having also been dedicated as a church by the same Diocesan Bishop.
Patron saint celebrations, June festivals, Marian and Christmas missions, charity bazaars, Corpus Christi solemnities, with their colourful sawdust carpets for the Eucharistic processions, and so many other festivities, are occasions when parishioners get together, even joining with other communities, to manifest their faith.
The pastoral programmes have been expanded and movements have sprung up, such as the Ongoing Christian Formation for adults, aiming to provide a constant in-depth study of topics that are relevant to Christian life, regularly offering theology courses for lay people and art and culture seminars in several of the chapels, among other activities.
It is also worth mentioning the Vocations Ministry and the youth groups, developed with the aim of awakening in each parishioner a commitment to fulfilling their vocation as a baptized person, as well as to helping them discern their specific calling, as many young men and women have shown an interest in giving their lives to an ideal, whether through consecrated life, the priesthood or starting a family.
Thanks to the Marriage and Family Ministry – which is carried out through meetings and encounters with young people who want to live the vocation of matrimony, the preparation course for engaged couples and conversations with established families about the challenges of marriage and raising children – many couples have adjusted their irregular situations, returning to the Sacraments.
The Pastoral Care of the Sick is one of the most touching pages in the history of these fifteen years of evangelizing work, for the encouragement it brings to the suffering, and for opening the gates of Heaven to those who die in the Lord.
Every week, all the sick who are housebound and who wish to receive the Sacraments are visited to administer Holy Communion and any other relevant assistance. One of the most moving cases is that of Mrs. Mara Arnoni, a parishioner since the early days. She had prayed for ten years, asking God to send workers to this vast field, and she was fully answered when the parish was born. Always an active participant in activities and exceptionally pious, Mara was visited by the cross when she fell ill with the cancer that led to her death. Herald priests supported her throughout her illness, carrying Communion to her home on numerous occasions and administering the last Sacraments before her departure from this life.
Grateful testimonies
The labourers in this intense evangelization are overjoyed when they see the parishioners progress in their integration into Church life and in their aspiration to grow in faith.
“As crianças não ficam sem a Primeira Comunhão, nem os jovens sem a Crisma. Não falta aos casais o apoio espiritual que lhes é próprio, sobretudo quanto à preparação para o casamento. Os doentes não deixam de ser atendidos. Nenhuma das mais de dez comunidades fica sem Eucaristia nos dias de preceito”
With great satisfaction, the parish has followed the growth of its children and some of them, who received Baptism or First Communion in their early days, are now embarking on marriage, forming Catholic homes thanks to the formation they received in childhood. Naiara Prado, from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Chapel, was one of these. Today she is married to a young parishioner and says with gratitude: “I started with the catechesis course in the little chapel, with the sisters of Regina Virginum; then came the perseverance course, I was a “little Martha”, I performed in some theatre plays and I take part in the choir. Four years ago I got married and I want to thank the Heralds for all the apostolate and affection they dedicate to the parishioners. Above all, I want to thank Msgr. João for creating this great work, which is converting many souls all over the world and, I am sure, will save many souls.”
Countless testimonies could be cited. However, we must limit ourselves to just a few. Rejiane Soares, from St. Jude Thaddeus Church says: “I have lived here for twenty-four years. The most remarkable thing was the arrival of the Heralds in our chapel, because we had great difficulty in accessing the Sacraments – especially Confirmation, which was only administered in the main parish church in the city of Mairiporã – as well as all the friendship and kindness of the priests, who fulfil their duty with great seriousness and goodness, showing us the true face of the Holy Church, pure and immaculate. We laypeople participate very actively, helping out and responding to the needs of the community.”
Adalberto Rodrigues also gives his testimony about the Our Lady of Fatima community: “I was born here in 1983, and initially religious activities were held in the places provided, such as the nursery school and then the community centre. In 2009, the Heralds of the Gospel arrived and began to take steps to acquire a piece of land, although the activities continued in the community centre, with frequent Masses, Confessions and Baptisms: the Sacraments became more accessible to everyone. I have met people who never left the house due to health reasons and did not receive the Sacraments; now they do, because of the visits of the Herald priests. Many marriages have been regularized. My parents themselves had been living together for over forty years and were able to get married officially in the Church. What gladdened me especially was the completion of the beautiful Oratory of Our Lady of Fatima, which we can now visit so freely.”
And to crown our celebration of the parish’s anniversary, we end these lines with the testimony about the Herald Priests, given by Bishop Sergio Colombo, which, according to him, is imbued “with feelings of gratitude”: “In the parish that this diocese has entrusted to them, everyone is taken care of. Children are not left without First Communion, nor are young people left without Confirmation. Couples do not lack the spiritual support they require, especially when it comes to preparing for marriage. The sick are not left unattended. None of the more than ten communities is left without the Eucharist on feast days: Masses begin on Saturday afternoon and continue throughout Sunday. I am very happy to have priests like this in our diocese.”
On their knees in prayerful thanks for so much heavenly support, the Heralds ask Our Lady of Grace to continue to show her favour to this work, for the salvation of souls and the glory of the Church. ◊
