From the 7th to the 14th of July 2024, in preparation for the Priestly Ordination of Deacon Antônio Carlos de Barros Filho, Palotino, a Missionary week took place in the Parish of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, in Regente Feijó/SP, his hometown. Having Sisters from this city, we, Pastoral Sisters, were invited to participate and made ourselves available.
Many missionaries, most of them seminarians, priests and Pallottine Brothers, some nuns and lay people, accompanied by people from the local community, made visits, blessing homes and families, providing moments of prayer and sharing, both in the center and neighborhoods of the city, including businesses, health centers and public offices, as well as in rural communities. In the middle of the week, a group of Peruvians also arrived, who joined the missionary teams for the visitation, as Deacon Antônio is working in Lima-Peru. The missionaries were welcomed into the homes of families, who gave full attention to their guests.
Each day had a specific theme, dedicated to a sacrament and began with the Lauds Prayer at the headquarters, followed by the community coffee and the distribution of visitation teams. In the evening we met again at the Matrix, for the Eucharistic Celebration. Several pastoral activities marked the week, with formative meetings for couples, catechists, young people and teenagers, penitential procession, visit to the sick, confessions group...
In Regente we met several people who attended the Casa da Criança, where the Little Shepherds worked from the 60s to the 80s and who remember some of the Sisters with great affection.
On the night of the 13th, the long-awaited big event took place: the Priestly Ordination of Deacon Antônio Carlos de Barros Filho, at the city's Sports Gymnasium. And, the next day in the morning, his First Mass. After this celebration, a large community coffee, served by the Parish for everyone, in Praça da Matriz, marked and crowned the great welcome, sharing and fraternity that we experienced.
Our gratitude for the intense week of mission, when we were able to recover the memory of the Little Shepherds who served the Regentense community so many years ago.
sr Bertila Picelli e sr Cristiane Ribeiro, sjbp
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