The Congregation of the Mission in Brazil went on pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception Aparecida, March 28-30, 2025, to thank God the Father, through Mother Aparecida, for the 400th anniversary of the establishment of the Congregation of the Mission. The pilgrimage took place in the context of the 53rd Pilgrimage of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the 2nd Pilgrimage of the Vincentian Family of Brazil.
More than 50 confreres joined the pilgrimage and, in a jubilee atmosphere, celebrated this great national meeting together with Our Lady of Aparecida, members of the Vincentian Family and other People of God present at the event.
The program was intense and varied, making it possible, through the practices of faith, to express the joy of the moment, as well as to give thanks to God for being part of such a significant institution, which is the Congregation, and which St. Vincent, as Bishop José recalled in the two Masses he presided during the pilgrimage, wanted to call small: the Little Company.
On Friday, 28/03/2025, at 5:00 pm, on the Rosary Way, the Vincentian Family of Brazil prayed the Rosary, presided by Fr. Edson Friedrichsen, CM.
On Saturday 29, at 9 am, another moment of devotion took place at Morro do Cruzeiro, the Way of the Cross, coordinated by Fr. Allan Ferreira, CM, Spiritual Advisor of the National Council of the SSVP, with the participation of the laity and 15 young people, seminarians and non-seminarians, clothed as St. Vincent de Paul, who distributed bread to the people. On this occasion, three stations referring to the Congregation were conducted by Vincentian priests: 5th station: Fr. Adriano Pires (Brazilian Province of the Congregation of the Mission – PBCM), 8th station: Fr. Alisson Medeiros (Congregation of the Southern Mission Province – CMPS) and 13th station: Fr. Silvio Mitozo (Province of Fortaleza of the Congregation of the Mission – PFCM).
In the afternoon, two special activities took place. At 2:30 pm, the Talent Show of the Conferences of Children and Adolescents at the Padre Vitor Event Center, coordinated by the National Council of the SSVP, and simultaneously, from 3:00 pm, a Symposium on “Vincentian Spirituality, Formation and Action and its relationship with the laity in today’s world” in the basement of the same event center, conducted by Fr. Cleber Teodósio, CM, Coordinator of the National Commission of the 400 years of the CM. The symposium consisted of three talks, on Vincentian Spirituality by Fr. Simão Valenga (CMPS), Formation by Fr. Eli Chaves (PBCM) and Action by Fr. Adriano Santos (PFCM). During the breaks, Fr. Cleber spoke about the raison d’être of the symposium: the 400 years of the Little Company, as well as about the International Vincentian Family and the urgency of working together, such as the FHA/ 13 Houses Project and the Vincentian Confraternities, with the help of Inês Barés (President of the SSVP Panama), who gave a testimony about her work in the Confraternity of Translators, in person, and Fr. Guillermo Campuzano, CM (Vincentian Family International) who, through a video, motivated those present to participate in the confraternities and announced his visit to Brazil planned for May 2025. The event concluded with the blessing of Monsignor José Carlos Chacorowski, CM (Bishop of Caraguatatuba) and the raffle of books, three of which were launched at the symposium: a) “Congregation of the Mission: A Call to Renew the Following of Christ, Evangelizer of the Poor”, by Father Eli Chaves, CM, b) Vol I: Interview with St. Vincent de Paul: his life, spirituality and doctrine and c) Vol II: Interview with St. Vincent de Paul: founding documents, both by Father Gilson Camargo, CM.
The event concluded with the blessing of Monsignor José Carlos Chacorowski, CM (Bishop of Caraguatatuba) and the raffle of books, three of which were launched at the symposium: a) “Congregation of the Mission: A Call to Renew the Following of Christ, Evangelizer of the Poor”, by Father Eli Chaves, CM, b) Vol I: Interview with St. Vincent de Paul: his life, spirituality and doctrine and c) Vol II: Interview with St. Vincent de Paul: founding documents, both by Father Gilson Camargo, CM.
At 6:00 p.m. on Saturday the 29th, the Cathedral Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Conception of Aparecida hosted the Mass for the 400th anniversary of the Congregation of the Mission, presided by Bishop Chacorowski and concelebrated by the Provincials: Father Vandeir Barbosa (PBCM), Father Simão Valenga (CMPS) and other confreres present. Jânio Silva, CM, recently elected Provincial Visitor of the Province of Fortaleza of the Congregation of the Mission, was absent for personal reasons. In his homily, Bishop Chacorowski recalled the virtue of humility, so dear to the founder Vincent de Paul, recalling the shared prayer of November 25, 1657, when a young priest refers to the Congregation with the adjective of Holy, presenting it as something great, and St. Vincent reflects alluding to the group of Jesus that was a small group, doing humble work, serving the poor in charity, so also the Congregation should be a Little Company. He also reminded the confreres that the Vincentian charism was born with the power of the word from two homilies preached by Father Vincent, so that today’s preaching should continue to be delivered with courage, conviction and centered on the Gospel of Jesus.
Finally, as in the Founder’s time, may today’s Jubilee help the Congregation to give thanks to God for the institution of the Mission, to ask forgiveness for the faults that the Society has committed and grant it the grace to correct them so that it can better fulfill the service that concerns it. On the main altar of the sanctuary there was an image of St. Vincent de Paul, specially made for the celebration, and relics of the saint: a rib bone, a piece of his tunic and a letter to St. Louise de Marillac, which are on pilgrimage in Brazil. The day ended with the Ozanam Cultural Festival, starting at 7:30 pm, at the Father Vitor Events Center, coordinated by the Vincentian youth.
On Sunday 30, at 7:00 a.m., the Regular Feast of the SSVP began at the Father Vitor Event Center, with moments that referred to the Jubilee of the Church 2025: “Vincentians, pilgrims of hope with Our Lady of Aparecida”, whose image was brought to the stage by the President of the National Council of the SSVP Brazil, Márcio Silva and four other companions. The image of Frederic Ozanam, carried by lay people, and the image of St. Vincent de Paul, brought by Fathers Allan and Vandeir, were also displayed. Fr. Cleber was then called to the main stage to address the nearly 8,000 people present on the 400th anniversary of the CM. After an introduction, he showed a video in which Fr. Adalberto Costa, CM, spoke on the theme, followed by the institutional video of the Congregation of the Mission prepared by the General Curia and in Brazil, narrated by Fr. Edson. The feast continued and concluded at noon with a Mass of thanksgiving, which also brought the pilgrimage to an end. Fr. José Chacorowski presided the Eucharist, which was concelebrated by confreres and other SSVP spiritual advisors present, both diocesan priests and those from other branches of the Vincentian Family.
To go on pilgrimage to the Shrine of the Mother of Aparecida is always a special moment in the life of any devotee, even more, as in this case, to give thanks for so many wonderful things that God has done in the world through the hands of the priests and brothers of the Congregation of the Mission. Thanks also to the National Council of the SSVP through its President and Elisabete Castro, general coordinator of the Pilgrimage, who spared no effort to welcome the Little Company and the other branches of the Vincentian Family to walk together. God bless you all!
Fr. Cleber Teodosio, CM
Vincentian Missionary
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