By Ona Kiser

I first discovered the traditional diocese of the Personal Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney in Campos, Brazil, through an unexpected friendship with a teenage altar boy who was about to enter junior seminary there. I went to visit him during his first year, when he was still homesick, and began to get to know the seminary and parishes of the diocese. I was a Catholic convert from the United States. I quickly fell in love with the piety, beauty, clarity and rigor of traditional Catholicism. Where at first my only contact with the traditional Mass had been in major cities in other countries, in the region of Campos de Goytacazes traditional Catholic life was everywhere, and the ‘extraordinary’ form of the Holy Mass seemed refreshingly ordinary. ​

Few other regions have such a flourishing of traditional parish life, not only in the schools, convents, care centers, charitable projects, and lively public Catholic life, but in the way that faith permeates every aspect of day to day living, even to the common greeting:
​“Salve Maria!”

The priests of the Personal Apostolic Administration are formed in the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, a quadrangle-in-progress on some sixty acres of donated pastureland on the outskirts of the city of Campos. The young men I’ve met there are earnest, devout, and incredibly gracious. It was here, to my surprise, that I crossed paths several times with fellow-American Father Prior Benedict Nivakoff of the Benedictine Monks of Norcia, Italy. He shared my fascination with Campos, and the idea for Friends of Campos began to germinate. A year later we welcomed our treasurer, Alessandro Cota, a Brazilian-American father, teacher and Benedictine Oblate residing in the United States. ​

There is a priceless treasure here, in these villages and small cities. Few other regions have such a flourishing of traditional parish life, not only in the schools, convents, care centers, charitable projects, and lively public Catholic life, but in the way that faith permeates every aspect of day to day living, even to the common greeting: “Salve Maria!”

Especially in this time of remarkable confusion in the world and in the Church we were all moved to support this unique diocese via launching Friends of Campos. Not only does Friends of Campos’ financial support help in the traditional formation of priests, but also in the maintenance of traditional Catholic devotions and customs around the region. The seminary also offers workshops for diocesan priests from around Brazil who want to learn the Tridentine Latin Mass and traditional Catholic discipline. ​

​We hope you will join us in our enthusiasm, and offer us your generous support for our ongoing projects.

President and Co-Founder
Friends of Campos, Inc.

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