Prison Ministry
“Where you put your confidence, who gives you security
is love that attains everything, only justice generates peace”
Strong, vibrant, hopeful, this song was heard during the Campaign for fraternity in Brazil. The Brazilian Church wants to reflect on public security, violence and its reasons. In the presence of the increase of injustice that our cities suffer, the pain of the losses in a battle that delinquents and policemen face, and often the innocent people are its victims, the Church of Jesus wants to put his confidence and security in Him, who is Lord of peace and justice.
Groups of Christians with strength and hope, we want to make this seed grow, believing in God who is capable of giving a new course to our broken lives. Among so many gestures of love, so much pastoral efforts to construct fraternity, the Carmelite Missionaries collaborate in the Guarulhos-São Paulo's Pastoral Prison, discovering Christ's face in every prisoner.
With our mission we want to take the prisoners to the heart of the Church, to offer our service of integration in order that the prisoners do not feel alone, excluded for shame, or rejection. We try to take Jesus to the jails, cold places, full of loneliness and suffering; to help the interns to re-discover the sense of life, to perceive that the Christian community does not abandon them, that we still believe in reconciliation. In every visit we feel grateful by their reception and the respect that they offer us, in exchange for a word that encourages their journey. Often we feel that the task is difficult, there exist personal and institutional obstacles but Jesus’ words encourage us: “I was imprisoned and you visited me” (Mt. 25, 36).
Fraternity invites us to discover again the brother in the faces of our neighbors, friends and also enemies; to construct new ways of peace, of pardon, of solidarity; only in this way we will see this just world that does not need to fight for survival, of greed for goods, of closed doors to protect our wealth and securities.
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We experience that Christ is in us, in every prisoner, in spite of our sin, because He is faithful. His love does not change. The sisters together with some laypeople try to show this faithful face to the world. Our work is directed to the detainees, their families and to the prison’s security guards.
This is our concrete contribution to construct a world of justice and peace. We want to open the eyes to the marvels that God does every day in our lives and to continue remembering his words “you did it to me”(Mt. 25, 45).
"Community Center D. João Berguese".
We are celebrating twenty years of the creation of the “Community Center D. João Berguese.” It arose as a service to the most disadvantaged. We recall with gratitude Sr. Ofelia Echeverri and so many sisters, priests and laymen who passed this way leaving their life and self surrender.
This Center contributes to the solidarity and hope of a better future. All the activities are orientated to rescue the dignity of the persons, darkened by unemployment, lack of opportunities, familiar and social problems, which are present in our neighborhoods.
The impulse that we give through formation to generate income, is offered through diverse courses that provide professional learning in culinary arts, crafts, hairdresser's shop, manicure and vital learning for living together and to share values.
Young people have their space participating in the classes of computer science, with social educational activities, that place them in contact with companies and prepare them for the future.
The group of pregnant women also meet to share, to be listened to, to learn to take care of their children; the elderly group has their place, as well as the pastoral ministry.
Every day is a rich time in activities, in persons, in experiences of life. The Social Pastoral ministry is very much present in this mission.
With this presence we want to make the love of the Church visible; that the proclamation of the love and service that Jesus left us may reach a big number of people. We make alive the legacy of our Fr. Founder who taught us to love the Church in the concrete faces "you will find me solitary… in the deserts …Shepherdess in the midst of the peoples, a pilgrim on the roads, and everything in everywhere where charity is practicing its acts and functions (Fr. Francisco Palau MRel 20, 11).
These projects and undertakings that we promote are realized; thanks to the solidarity of the Congregation by means of FOSCARMIS and PROKARDE. Thus, in this way our communion with the Total Christ is manifested.
