Friends of Campos, Inc.
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Friends Blog

Lenten Fundraiser

2/26/2021

 
Dear friends,

We’re excited to announce our fundraiser for Lent. Our goal is to raise just $16,000 by Easter. 

This will cover the projects detailed in the Projects section:

-A monthly supplement for the seminary for food, cleaning supplies and other basics
-A monthly supplement for the convent in Bom Jesus for food and pharmacy
-A proper wardrobe for each dormitory room in the seminary
-A round of new books for the library
-New musical instruments for the sisters

Please join us in reaching (or even surpassing!) our goal! Contributions of any size are welcome. Please donate today!

May God repay you for your prayers and contributions. Please share this fundraiser with your friends and colleagues!

Ona Kiser
President
Friends of Campos
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Looking forward to 2021

2/22/2021

 
by Ona Kiser, President

I was finally able to visit Campos in early February, 2021 to get an in-person look at the status of the projects we had hoped to support in 2020 and discuss the needs for 2021. Take a look at our new projects page to see what we’ll be doing!

​Our initial plans for 2020 were largely put aside in favor of sending emergency funds for keeping the seminary pantry stocked. That we were able to do, sending several donations throughout the year to help feed the young men. We are really grateful for the generous support we received from donors in the US and Europe.

Two projects we’d hoped to help with ended up being taken care of by private donors not affiliated with Friends of Campos:

At the convent in Bom Jesus, where the sisters had been using a makeshift altar for years, a private donor unexpectedly gave them a fantastic hand-carved cedar altar made by artisans in the state of Minas Gerais. It smells fantastic and looks fabulous. It takes the chapel to a whole new level. So though Friends of Campos didn’t fund this project after all, we are really happy to celebrate the lovely outcome. ​
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They had also desperately needed new hospital beds for the Saint Joseph Care Center for the Elderly, and these were also purchased by a private donor in late 2020. They haven’t been delivered yet, but we’ll post some pictures when they are. We are grateful to see the sisters receiving extra help, especially in such a difficult year. ​

Back at the seminary, I was delighted to see that the Formation Center for Priests has been finished, despite the quarantines. ​
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 Last I’d seen it it was bare concrete and dangling light bulbs. Now it is sparkling with clean tile, with every door, window, sink and light-switch in place and working. There are ten guest bright, spacious guest rooms for visiting clergy or clergy retreats. It will be a tremendous service to the traditional Catholic community throughout Brazil, as well as to the clergy of the Apostolic Administration, to have this center up and running. It still needs furnishing, but we’ll get to that! ​
Another joy was to see the progress made on the library. The new shelves are slowly filling with books, the reading room is already in use (and air-conditioned!), and a small team has been trained to repair and catalogue the books under the supervision of one of the priests. There are some treasures to be found, including correspondence, magazines and other publications covering the time of upheaval and transition after the Second Vatican Council. It will make a good resource for researchers in the future. This was not a Friends of Campos project in 2020, but will be in 2021 (see project page for details!).

The sisters and the seminarians are praying for our benefactors during Lent as well there are Masses celebrated for this intention at the seminary. We thank you again for your support in 2020, our first year of service. We hope to grow in 2021!

Check out our 2021 projects here!

Also new this year: the sisters and the seminary are taking prayer requests. You can submit your intentions here.

2020 Year End News

1/7/2021

 
By Ona Kiser

First, we want to thank you all for your generous support of this new project, Friends of Campos. Our plans for helping out with some infrastructure projects got set aside as the pandemic wrecked the flow of support from the parishes that normally sustains the seminary. Thanks to your charity we were able to make several donations to help keep the seminarians in food and soap.
The seminarians are on summer break now, visiting their families. The new school year starts up at the end of January (the school year runs January to December here). God willing, I’ll be heading out for a visit shortly after the feast of Candelária (February 2). That’s also the feast day of the patron saint of Brazil, Our Lady of Aparecida. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen everyone in person!
We were happy to celebrate the ordination of Father Kelvin in December (see previous post): a joyful conclusion to a rather difficult year. There were also a few minor news stories from around the region:
The end of the school year is a time for public presentation and defense of monographs by the  students finishing philosophy (the end of the third year). The successful presentation and defense of the monograph is required to continue on to theology. In the photo, Eduardo Salomão takes the stand. His monograph was about Natural Law in the Summa of St. Thomas Aquinas. He called the subject "awesome but difficult" but said he found the preparation rewarding, especially as the subject is very current.
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Monsenhor Eduardo, jovial “grandpa” to the seminarians, finally moved out of the seminary to live near his former parish. There was concern for his health, but back in a rural parish he will not only have more fresh air and sunshine, but also the chance to catch up with many old friends. 
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A calf auction was held recently in Bom Jesus. The sale raised funds to help pay for the new solar panel installation on the Saint Joseph’s Home for the Elderly, affiliated with the Apostolic Administration. I have sometimes purchased raffle tickets for calf raffles, just on a whim, but have yet to win a calf. I live in the city, so a calf is not much use to me, but if I ever do win one it will make a good story. Brazilian cattle are super adorable, with big eyes and floppy ears.
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I’ll just add a special mention of two of the oldest residents of Saint Joseph’s: Eliza, who is 108 and Maria de Lourdes, who is 110! Here they are in their Christmas wish list photos which the sisters posted so area residents could bring gifts.
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Happy New Year! God repay you all for your continued prayers and support.

Joys of the season

12/17/2020

 
December has brought us a new priest, Father Kelvin, who was ordained on December 12th, feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Due to the renewed outbreaks of Covid-19 here in Brazil the ordination was held semi-privately, mostly attended by Kelvin’s family. Dom Fernando, bishop of the Apostolic Administration, was one of several clergy in the Administration who were recently afflicted with Covid and he was still in quarantine on the scheduled date (though he had a relatively mild case and has now recovered).

Dom Antônio, an auxiliary bishop from the archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro was kind enough to substitute. He proved a good student, too, learning the old rite in two days of training. He was reportedly overjoyed to do the ordination.

Following are some photos for your enjoyment. Please do continue to pray for us here in Brazil!

Embellishing the ordinary

11/20/2020

 
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Brazil maintains some fragments of formal manners such as I’ve never encountered in the United States. One is asking a blessing from superiors. It may be done by children asking the blessing of their parents in the morning or by children lining up to ask their school teacher’s blessing in the morning. I’ve been asked for my blessing by my godchildren, and even by children on the street in traditional communities. I’ve asked elderly ladies for their blessing and received, in all solemnity, “May God bless you” in return. It’s one of many gracious gestures that seem like drops of beauty in a world that tends to informality, hurried interactions, and disrespect.

Another, often done in conjunction with asking a blessing, is kissing of the back of the other person’s right hand. While this is a ritual gesture in the traditional Mass, it is also normal when meeting clergy on the street or at the parish, at least in the more traditional communities.  In fact, it spills over again into the greeting of superiors in general, with the formal asking of a blessing from ones mother, an elderly lady, grandpa, a teacher, a religious superior or other paternal figure often accompanied by a kiss to the back of the right hand.

Another delight is the use of formal address not only with superiors, but also among equals. I’ve discovered this custom in convents, seminaries and monasteries (sometimes even in those that do not celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass). It, too, is something that seems to bring a dignity and graciousness to what would otherwise be banal activities, from passing the salt, sir, to reaching for a pen, ma’am. In Portuguese this formality is conveyed by a use of the third person instead of second person: “Would the lady like more water? Might the gentleman pass me the salt?”

All of this may seem fussy.  I initially found it so strange that I scolded some young people at church for speaking formally to me. To my astonishment they begged me to allow them to keep the custom, as it was for them a small gesture of dignity and beauty in a world full of ugliness and disrespect.  With time I’ve come to see it as part and parcel of the cultivation of a life filled with thoughtfulness and consideration, an awareness of social structure, and an honoring of the dignity of guests and superiors. In fact, I find it just as apt when addressing people least likely to be treated with any dignity at all: figuring they could use a drop of courtesy more than most of us.

I do wonder what will happen to the hand kissing, a gesture that has been quite suddenly suppressed by the fears around covid, here at the end of the year 2020. It’s strange to see Brazilians in general greet each other at a distance, making awkward nods or bows which fail to convey the enthusiasm of the more usual greetings of hugs and kisses. That said, the verbal politenesses are not susceptible to germs, so have some chance of carrying on, God willing. And in daily life the attempts at new kinds of greeting seem to be losing traction, with girlfriends and moms slowly reverting to their usual kisses, and men to their handshakes and back-slaps.

​Ona Kiser
President

Thank you!

11/5/2020

 
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We didn’t anticipate this year’s economic upheaval when we launched Friends of Campos. But not a few months later here we are, with parishes and Church institutes barely keeping their heads above water. Economic hardships have affected nearly every sector, many small businesses have closed, and many people have been out of work, at least temporarily. The funding and direct donations of food the seminary in Campos received from the parishes dropped by two-thirds, leaving them low on food and basic cleaning supplies. 

We asked your help and your response was immediate and very generous. We are all very grateful for your heartfelt outpouring of support.

The rector of the seminary, Father Marco Antonio, recorded a short thank you. Gabriel and Eduardo, both in their third year of philosophy, spoke in English on behalf of their colleagues and put together the video as a personal thank you to all of you. 

​May God reward you all for your charity.

First Impressions of Campos (Part I)

9/15/2020

 
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When a joyful Brazilian man from Campos entered our monastery in Norcia years ago, we had no idea it would be the beginning of a lasting, rich friendship with his home city. Often he shared stories of a land that modernity had left in peace, a land with material challenges but spiritual abundance. Processions and pilgrimages went on for days and men and women attended daily Traditional Mass as normal routine. It is hard to imagine a place where the Faith lives on in a real way as if never interrupted.

On my first visit to Campos flying up the Brazilian coast in a small plane from Rio on Azul airlines, I could see from the air that the land itself was mostly “modern”. Tall office buildings, bad traffic, and poor sanitation dotted the landscape. Most of the people on my flight were oil rig workers. Helicopters met them at the Campos airport -- the size of a small American gas station -- to take them out to the rigs. The area had all the trappings of a modern industrialized society including those no one wants to mention: boredom, restlessness, ennui.

Yet unlike much of the modernized world, this otherwise ordinary region drinks from a river of life which flows through it, clear and pristine. In the western and northern hemisphere we are used to traditional parishes sparsely scattered throughout the country with at most one per city. In Campos however, a whole diocese exists of more than 30,000 faithful who live a life where the traditional liturgy is seamlessly interwoven into the daily fabric of their lives. One town alone can have three churches, a nursing home and shrines for pilgrimages in the countryside.

Residents take modern medicines, talk on modern cell phones and drive modern cars (although some could use newer ones!), but they can still appreciate the words, Introibo ad Altare Dei as an invitation into the supernatural dwelling place of God. Little did I expect on my first visit to hear the consoling and resounding response of 1500 faithful  exclaiming, Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. Thus my first visit to Campos several years ago brought me much joy. In unassuming ways the whole diocese, called canonically an apostolic administration, reminds the visitor of what we have lost but also of what is still possible. It brings hope…

Prior Benedict Nivakoff, OSB
Secretary

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August Update

8/13/2020

 
Salve Maria!

Dear friends,
Since our last update Madre Lúcia, who had been hospitalized with Covid, passed away. Due to the health restrictions then in place her religious daughters were not allowed to attend her burial, though a priest was permitted. The sisters have since elected a new Mother Superior, Mother Maria José, who formally took her position on July 26th.
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During the end of July Brazil also lost a beloved bishop, Dom Henrique Soares da Costa, of a diocese in the state of Pernambuco, who was a respected friend and support to traditional Catholics. He had preached the annual clergy retreat of the Apostolic Administration just two years ago. ​
​And in another passing a beloved fixture of Campos, Soror Maria do Bom Conselho, died from Covid on August 8th. She had been a cloistered nun earlier in her life, and in later years had continued to maintain her religious life outside the cloister. My only interaction with her was an exchange of big smiles one day when I saw her at an ordination Mass. She had one of those smiles full of light and joy that you remember for a long time. ​ 

Please pray for the souls of the faithful departed.

In more festive news, early August sees the celebration of Priest’s Day (added to the feast of St. John Mary Vianney).
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Brazil’s love of festivities is charming. Even in the simplest or most rustic of parishes birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and so on are opportunities for special prayers and blessings, followed by group photos, cake and soda.
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Priests here are generally quite beloved and well cared for by their parishioners, and are showered with attention and gifts on their natural birthdays and ordination days, not to mention Priest’s Day, Christmas, or any other day that gives an excuse for wishing others “Congratulations,” taking more pictures, and eating more cake.

At the seminary, the saint’s feast day was the occasion of a solemn Mass and the commencement of studies for the second semester.  The school year here runs with the calendar year, with summer holidays in January and winter holidays in July. Those seminarians who had gone home for the winter holiday and then had trouble returning due to the upheavals caused by Covid are now happily back in Campos and in good health and good spirits.

The library in the new wing is really developing nicely: there is a reading room with individual desks and air conditioning (a rare thing!) and the books which had been stashed in every spare nook and cranny of the seminary and are being neatly cataloged and shelved. Finishing work continues in the remainder of the new wing, as does clean up of the gardens, which got a bit mangled during all the construction.
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The Feast of the Transfiguration was the annual parish feast day in Bom Jesus (the city’s name means Good Jesus). The novena leading up to the feast featured Adoration, a homily and Confession. Despite the accommodation of state and city regulations regarding crowding and social distancing, people are happily attending Mass, Confession, and devotions in the parishes. This is true here in Rio, too, where the Tridentine Latin Mass is as full as conditions allow (it was moved to a larger church for the time being to accommodate the need for space between people in the pews). The lines for Confession are long, and the hardships and upheaval of recent times seems to have only inspired greater enthusiasm in many Catholics.
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The Abrigo José Lima - the center for the elderly in Bom Jesus - has been collecting local donations from around the community to keep everyone in food, medicine, water, clothing and other necessities. They have been blessed with a donation of ten cistern refills of drinking water and a large collection of colorful winter hats for the elderly to wear on chilly nights.  A local grocery store has been donating food regularly. They have also reworked one ward to provide three isolation rooms, in case of emergencies. So far, however, there have been few cases of Covid in Bom Jesus, and none in the Abrigo. ​
In an interesting development both the seminary in Campos and the convent in Bom Jesus have received generous private donations to install solar panels. Other parishes and institutes, having seen the benefit, are pursuing the same installation via bank financing. The initial setup costs are high (150,000 to 250,000 reals), but the savings are enormous. Electricity is relatively expensive in Brazil, and an institution or parish can easily have monthly bills of 5000-8000 reals. With the solar panels, the monthly electric bill drops to a few hundred reals!! The Campos region is extremely sunny all year round, so it’s an excellent place to take advantage of the relatively new availability of solar technology in the area.

I hope that, with your help, we can continue to contribute to the support of this unique traditional Catholic community. Your prayers and donations are precious, and most welcome. You are always most welcome to reach out to me by phone or email if you have any questions.

​God keep you and repay you for your generosity.

Winter (in July!) update

7/10/2020

 
It’s winter in Campos now. The ongoing pandemic and associated social and economic upheaval continue to leave their mark, even as businesses and churches officially begin to re-open. Even as the pandemic subsided in the major cities it began to spread into the secondary cities and rural regions.
​In the town of Saint Anthony of Padua three residents of the old-people’s home recently fell sick with covid-19, as did the Mother Superior of the small religious order that cares for them. She is now on a ventilator at a major hospital in Rio de Janeiro, and three other sisters (in an association of just six sisters) are also sick, though not as seriously. We beg your prayers for Reverend Mother Lúcia, the sisters of the Association of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima and of Mount Carmel, and the residents of Saint Anthony of Pádua!
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The seminarians are regrouping at the seminary, having taken the usual July holiday early in the hopes that that would give the pandemic time to pass. Since it didn’t, they are coming back for the upcoming semester anyway, arriving in small groups under the supervision of a doctor. I can guarantee you there is great joy in that return. These young men have a great love of Jesus, Mary, and our beloved Church. Please pray for their perseverance and holiness!
Meanwhile, to my delight, progress has been made on finishing the floors and walls of the area that will eventually be the retreat center for clergy. Thank you very much for your support which helps make this and other projects possible!

I have lately discovered that it’s not uncommon for people to have been able to attend Mass during the formal ban on church services. 
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Being a gringo I tend to take things at face value and follow rules. But things work differently in Brazil. Since priests were celebrating Masses in the churches anyway, with the presence of some cantors, the organist, the tech guy to run the video feed, and several altar servers, it didn’t seem unreasonable to let in the pious who might knock at the side door. As long as they didn’t cause a fuss and stayed behind the camera, there was nothing said and life went on as usual. I’m speaking here of my personal experience in the city of Rio de Janeiro and the accounts of several friends, but I suspect the same has been going on in most places, as it would be a very typical Brazilian workaround.
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Many people I know suspect this is only the beginning of a period of more tribulations. Life in Brazil has always been difficult in one way or another, though, and people have a great deal of patience and perseverance. We hope in Our Lady’s intercession and God’s mercy.

​We are grateful for your continued prayers and financial support for our mission and for the people of Campos!

New non-profit to support traditional Catholic community in Brazil

5/31/2020

 
Friends of Campos, Inc. is a new US-based not-for-profit providing grants to support the seminary and the social and educational projects of the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney, located in Campos de Goytacazes, Brazil. The region, under the bold guidance of Dom Antônio Castro-Mayer, was a great preserve of traditional Catholic life during the tumultuous period following the Second Vatican Council. Thanks to his encouragement at that time, the region continues to be one in which traditional Catholic life and liturgy flourish.

The Personal Apostolic Administration was formally erected in 2002 by the Holy See by the decree Animarum Bonum to conserve the liturgical, doctrinal and cultural traditions of the Catholic Church, in full communion with the Magisterium. The community as a whole has thirteen parishes, six rectories, fifteen private Catholic schools, four homes for the aged, and eight associations of women religious. Some 35 priests serve in a community of over 30,000 active parishioners. The seminary takes up to 40 young men for formation, and is expanding to accept up to 80, as demand consistently exceeds the available space.

While the focus of Friends of Campos is on supporting the Seminary, which is the spiritual and cultural heart of the community, grants are also offered for projects at social and educational institutions run by the Personal Apostolic Administration around the diocese. Friends of Campos works with a local board of clergy to evaluate and select proposed projects and administer grants. 

Although the area is rich in traditional Catholic culture, it is very poor materially, and even modest donations go a long way towards the needs of the community. The Coronavirus epidemic which has hit even developed countries hard, brings more difficulties to Campos which has few of the resources needed to fight the health problems and economic devastation. The unbroken Tradition of faith acts as a bulwark in troubled times, but material support - even the basics of food and hygiene - are always needed.
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    Friends of Campos, Inc.

    Friends of Campos, Inc. is a US-based not-for-profit (501c3) which supports the social and educational projects of the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney, most of which are located around the diocese of Campos dos Goytacazes in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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FRIENDS OF CAMPOS, INC. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
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