Meet Brother Raimundo Sabino Gomes, 86 years old, from the village of Gama, of the São Joaquim Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SSVP) in Brazil. Raimundo’s white hair and wrinkled hands fool anyone who, at first glance, thinks he is a nice elderly man, as much as his years of life and hard work in the fields have allowed him to be! Nothing could be further from the truth. Energetic, strong-willed and passionate about SSVP, especially for the families he serves, Mr. Raimundo found his raison d’être 10 years ago in the service of the poor something that he does in a very peculiar way: walking for hours on the dirt roads of the neighborhood.
Today his walks are more infrequent, due to a leg problem and a stroke he suffered in November 2024. But even so, he does not lose heart and walks 25 miles, rain or shine, to visit the five families he cares for.
It is five o’clock in the morning, the sun has not yet risen, and Mr. Raimundo has already left home to begin his journey. He goes on foot where no one wants to go (the distance is too much for most people), not even if it were by car. Pants, shirt, belt, straw hat, sunglasses, canteen of water, another of coffee and a sandwich prepared by his wife. I ask him if he is walking alone: “Alone? No, I’m talking to God! He is with me all the time”. The return trip home takes place around 8 or 9 p.m., quite deep into the night.
Sometimes he stops under a tree to stretch his legs, drink water, have a coffee and have a snack. In his lunch box, flour and pork, the only meat he likes! At the beginning of his walks, 10 years ago, he didn’t stop for a snack. He liked to walk the route for a purpose, namely, to visit the needy on an empty stomach! But one person he was visiting said it was dangerous, given his age. Where have you ever seen anyone walking for hours on an empty stomach? And she served him food. “I went there to care for them and they cared for me,” he says. He still has meals with those whom he is assisting, but now brings his own lunch as well.
The long journey “just to talk to the families” would alone be a great example for any of us, but he goes further in his way of proceeding. “I schedule more distant visits. Someone has to do it. I do. It’s good for my health and my heart. I’m very grateful to be a Vincentian, it’s an honor. I was not drawn to anything before, not even the Church, but some SSVP members came to my house and invited me, and now I enjoy being involved. The main duty of a SSVP brother is to make home visits. So I do it. I’m happy and so are they, they even ask about me, because last year I had to slow down because of the accident I had and the stroke,” he says.
This is an example lived in practice. The vice-president of the Local Council of San Antonio, Brother Ademir de Sena Moreira, confirms this: “Mr. Raimundo transmits something very important to us. At his age, he goes forth from the community to visit those he helps. It is a real motivation. We need many Raimundos in the SSVP. He really embraces his work in the Conference, and it is contagious. But it’s not just the visits. When he finishes the visit to the families in their homes, he tells them: “I’m leaving, but first let’s say a prayer…”. He shows us that age is not an obstacle when there is good will, and he has plenty of that.
With information from http://www.ssvpbrasil.org.br/
Raimundo Sabino Gomes, with his 86 years and his walks, embodies the spirit of Vincentian service as few others do. His example reminds us that true love of neighbor knows no age limits or physical barriers. This Brazilian Vincentian defies fatigue and the difficulties of the journey to bring hope and comfort to five families, traveling up to 25 miles each time to do so. Beyond words, Raimundo lives charity in action, showing that service is not an obligation, but a vocation that fills life with meaning.
Raimundo’s dedication is a valuable lesson for the entire Vincentian Family. In a world that often exalts comfort and individualistic leisure, he teaches us that commitment to those most in need demands sacrifice and perseverance. His age is not an obstacle, but a testimony that Christ’s call to serve the poor is for everyone, regardless of one’s stage of life. His willingness to “go where no one wants to go” and to do so with joy and gratitude reveals a deep faith and a generous heart. Raimundo not only walks, he also carries with him the presence of God, and his constant prayer turns every visit into an encounter with the sacred.
Raymond’s testimony challenges us both personally and as a community. What excuses do we make for not serving the poor? Are we really willing to give our all for the love of the needy and of God, as he does? His life is an example that Vincentian service is not a task reserved for a few, nor is it limited by external circumstances. It is a universal call that we can answer, whatever our condition, age or place.
To the members of the Vincentian Family and to all who seek to follow Jesus Christ, Raymundo inspires us to overcome our limitations and to recall that service to the poor is a privileged way to live the Gospel. He shows us that every visit, every shared prayer and every sacrifice are seeds of love that transform lives, including our own.
So, as we reflect on his example, let us ask ourselves: How can we, in our present reality, live this call to service with greater generosity and commitment? Christ invites us to follow him in the face of the most vulnerable. Will we accept the challenge?
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