"The people look at this mission with hope and delight,
because we are brothers and sisters"
Please describe for us the new SSCC mission of brothers and sisters in the Jequitinhonha Valley in the Diocese of Araçuaí (Minas Gerais - Brazil).
The new SSCC mission of brothers and sisters in the Jequitinhonha Valley is a joint mission of brothers and sisters. What is clear at the moment is that the brothers will be in charge of the sacramental level in the two parishes and the sisters will be in charge of the pastoral work in the city of Divisa Alegre only. But we are aware that everything is still under construction, so to speak, as there is still a lot to know.
Who are the brothers and sisters who form part of this mission?
Paulo Roberto, Elcio Rubens, Jorge Filipe, and Sisters Valeria and Marilene.
What were the beginnings like, and what do you do mainly in your time?
Our mission began at the start of this year, on 6 February. We feel very comfortable to say that we still have a lot of work to do to develop this common mission. We dedicate ourselves to serving the people of God in this particular Church in the Diocese of Araçuaí. We dedicate all our time to the people of God.
Élcio, what are the main challenges?
In truth, people look at this mission with hope and delight, because we are brothers and sisters. People imagine that the mission is something involving a project and a joint work. However, things are not yet at the level we want, because we are still “arriving”. We have only been here for two months, there are many new and unforeseen things, as is the case of Aguas Vermelhas. This is a third parish along with the other two, whose priest died shortly after our arrival. At the request of the bishop, we were asked to take over this place. We are talking about a parish mission in a region with a minimal presence of consecrated religious life that has socio-cultural challenges because it is a region that receives little assistance from the public authorities, whether it be in education, health, etc. Moreover, the return to activities after the pandemic is an additional challenge. Many leaders are discouraged as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, we have not had time and space to dialogue, to talk about how we feel in this beginning, as brothers and sisters. We have a desire to work more together, but demands have led us to seek ways in a more isolated way. The mission of the Brothers and Sisters of the Sacred Hearts in these lands of the Jequitinhonha Valley is very promising.
Do you feel that this is an experience of "pastoral and missionary conversion"?
I really feel that we are living a pastoral and missionary conversion. We lead a simple life, in keeping with the life of the people. We live on our salaries, we attend to the needs of the people, especially the poorest and most needy, especially the youth. But there is still much to learn about this reality and how to put ourselves at the service of the people.
Monsignor Esmeraldo Barreto de Farias, bishop of the Diocese of Araçuaí, when he introduced the SSCC brothers and sisters to the parish communities, emphasised the sense of "SSCC missionary team", which is a challenge to work together in "synodality". How are you living it?
It is one of the biggest challenges, working together, a journey in harmony as brothers and sisters, presenting our spirituality to the people, with our way of being. Our charism is a gift that can enrich this people, this diocese. And this is what Monsignor Esmeraldo expects from us, Sacred Hearts. As we are a congregation of brothers and sisters, the bishop expects us to radiate our charism.
From left to right.: Jorge Filipe, Paulo Roberto and Élcio Rubens
05/31/2022