Province of the “Our Lady Aparecida”, Brazil
December 21, 2022
We would like to share with you the evidence of God’s Providence, through our most amiable patriarch, Saint Joseph, here in our mission in Espiritu Santo, Brazil.
On June 3 we began the novena to Saint Joseph of Anchieta, who is the patron saint of our parish. It is the biggest party that takes place in the city, and many people come from other places to participate.
One day before the feast it is tradition to have the “Feast of the Child Jesus” for the children, because our patron had a great appreciation for them. Before the pandemic, 900 children came to participate in the feast, also from other neighborhoods, and a large number of volunteers were needed for such a demanding apostolate.
However, since this year we were still slowly getting back to work, we intended to have a celebration “only” for 300 children, the catechists, the daughters of Mary and the altar boys. Besides, many parishioners did not return after the pandemic and this did not allow us to do something so big. The intention was to grow the devotion to our patron saint and bring the faithful back to the Church, the concern was not the large feast.
We began to ask every day, after Mass, for help with candy and sweets. We also asked in the stores, but we did not get much; in fact, it was three days before the feast and the candies we had were not even enough for 100 children.
On Wednesday, the day before the liturgical memorial of the patron saint, we prayed again, this time entrusting ourselves to St. Joseph. I believe that the two saints worked together, because the amount of candy that arrived at our house from Wednesday until Sunday was incredible: all the time people were arriving with bags of candy and even with monetary contributions. The volunteers of the feast could not believe it.
It was thanks to Divine Providence that everything went so well: the joy of the children was great, which shows how simple they are, because of their ability not to need much to rejoice and be amazed. We must learn from them this simplicity and purity, and, as missionaries, we must help to preserve and develop them.
It was really a lesson of trust and abandonment in Providence for us, but also for the laity, who were impressed with everything that happened.
These are some of the graces that the Lord, in his great goodness and mercy, allows us to see so that we and those around us may have greater trust in God and in his saints, especially the one we have as our patron. If this happens in material things, what can we say about the spiritual graces that God continually dispenses for the salvation of souls!
May our love and trust in our Guardian grow even more in us, and may we make him known throughout the world, so that many may glorify and praise God through his saints.
Long live the mission!
Long live San Jose!
Hna. Maria Fonte de Pureza, SSVM Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil
