Transforming Mary's Grove - Monte Alto Brazil

Fr Jose Maria Da Silva sm, former major superior of the Marist District of Brazil writes this week about the Transformation of a Shrine in the Parish of Monte Alto [north west of Sao Paolo].  The Project is  called: The Stations of the Cross, Our Lady's Grove, and the Path of the Seven Sorrows. He begins with quoting Laudato Si:  " Praised be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ! "

"The urgent challenge of protecting our common home includes the concern to unite the entire human family in the search for sustainable and integral development, as we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us, never retreats in his project of love, nor does he regret having created us. Humanity also has the ability to collaborate in the construction of our common home." Pope Francis' (LS 13)

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The dream of elevating this church to a sanctuary accompanies the community's spirituality, but it still lacks adequate spaces to welcome people. The community continues to work towards making this dream a reality. Starting with the reform of the Church, restoration of the Images of the Dead Christ and the Image of the Saint; the construction of the Via Crucis on the left side of the hill and on the right side the panel with the history of the images and the Grove of Our Lady, where the "Seven Sorrows of Maria" will be built in the future.

This region suffers a lot from the droughts, because the drought period is very long and the rains are very scarce. Based on Pope Francis' Encyclical "Laudato Si", a call for the care of the Earth, our "Common Home" implemented a green area with plants native to the region, encouraging people to care for the Common Home and changing attitudes towards the Environment "It is always possible to develop a new capacity to leave oneself towards the other" (LS 208), breaking with the awareness of the destruction of Nature and bringing out the sense of care of the Common Home from the heart . This work has been creating an Environmental Awareness and Ecological Citizenship (LS 210 and 211). This has borne fruit in the population of Palmas de Monte Alto, as the zeal of people for nature is visible.  

The project for the creation of the Grove, encouraged by Fr. Arnaldo da Silva, SM, [brother of Jose Maria - ed],  has been moving at a slow pace due to the lack of resources. In 2016, we were awarded with a resource from Caritas Diocesan, where we did the earthmoving and tree planting process, but as the land is very hard with stones, many plants died, with this, it made progress difficult, but little by little we are replanting. The first plants have already borne their fruit, such as Ipê, Joãozinho, Acerola, Chichá, and lately the Flamboyant tree, lush with flowers. A beauty contemplated with your own eyes.

With the planting of the trees and the laying down of a lawn we have transformed the earth and the area into something much more beautiful, agreeable and free of rubbish. Here it is now possible for people to come and drink from a fountain of spirituality and peace that enriches their personal lives and the lives of their families and community, contemplating the bounties of nature.

The Parish, together with the Marist Fathers and Lay Marists, have been very dedicated in creating Our Lady's Grove and in the elevation of the Church of Our Lady to the status of a Diocesan Sanctuary. In order for this to happen we count on the support of many faithful parishioners and benefactors to make this dream come true so that our Church becomes a Center of Spirituality and Faith for the whole region. This dream comes to animate the faith of the people and strengthen their devotion to the Mother of God and Humanity. 

For that, we count on the support of many faithful parishioners and benefactors to make this dream come true so that our Church becomes a center of spirituality and confession for the whole region. This dream comes to animate the faith of the people and strengthen their experience of devotion to the Mother of God. This is in addition to the Diocese's desire to strengthen spirituality and develop this now Diocesan Shrine.

We thank everyone who helped and will help make this dream come true. May Our Lady, Mother of God and Humanity, Queen of the Sertão intercede for all of us.

Fr. Jose Maria da Silva, SM

Palmas de Monte Alto, 2021

VIA SACRA, BOSQUE DE NOSSA SENHORA E VIA DAS SETE DORES

Lovado sejas meu Senhor!

O urgente desafio de proteger a nossa casa comum inclui a preocupação de unir toda a família humana na busca de um desenvolvimento sustentável e integral, pois sabemos que as coisas podem mudar. O Criador não nos abandona, nunca recua no seu projeto de amor, nem Se arrepende de nos ter criado. A humanidade possui ainda a capacidade de colaborar na construção da nossa casa comum.

Encíclica do Papa Francisco a "Laudato Si", (LS 13)

A centralidade da vida de um povo, de uma localidade está na proximidade a Deus, sua religiosidade, sua fé, portanto, é fundamental uma espiritualidade forte, neste caso, centrada no Santuário de Nossa Senhora Mãe de Deus e dos Homens. A história da cidade de Palmas de Monte Alto se desenvolveu sob o olhar de Nossa Senhora Mãe de Deus e dos Homens, uma devoção popular que chegou pelo Senhor Francisco Pereira de Barros (Pereirinha) que no alto da colina construiu, em 1742, a Igreja que leva como padroeira a Mãe de Deus, a sua imagem com dois metros de altura, que lá do alto observa, acompanha e abençoa o seu povo.

A Paroquia, juntamente com os Padres Maristas e os Leigos Maristas vêm se dedicando bastante para a implantação do Bosque, bem como a elevação da Igreja de Nossa Senhora a Santuário Diocesano. Para isso, contamos com o apoio de muitos fieis paroquianos e benfeitores para concretizar este sonho para que a nossa Igreja se torne um centro de espiritualidade e de confissão para toda a região. Este sonho vem animar a fé do povo

montealtense e fortalecer a vivência da devoção da Mãe de Deus. Isto é somado ao desejo da Diocese em fortalecer a espiritualidade e erguer um Santuário Diocesano.

Desde já, agradecemos a cada um que ajudou e vai ajudar a tornar este sonho a se tornar realidade. Que Nossa Senhora, Mãe de Deus e dos Homens, Rainha do Sertão interceda por todos nós.

Pe. Jose Maria da Silva, SM

Palmas de Monte Alto, 10 de janeiro de 2021