2020 Year End News

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.

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.

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.

Happy New Year! God repay you all for your continued prayers and support.