BRAZIL
A car for a community of religious sisters who help the poor in the slums of Sao Mateus
Sao Mateus is a town in the state of Maranhao in north-east Brazil. It has a population of 40,000. Unemployment is high here, educational opportunities for children and young people are poor, healthcare provision is lacking and the infrastructure is largely undeveloped. All in all, the Northeast is widely regarded as the “Poorhouse of Brazil”.
For the Catholic Church too the situation is not easy for there is a severe shortage of priests and a variety of different sects are spreading rampantly. They entice many people who have little else to hope for in life with promises of wealth, health and salvation.
In this difficult environment the work of the Sisters of God’s Love is a veritable blessing for the town. Not only do they care for the poor children from the slums – providing them with a space to play in their kindergartens and with a good, healthy warm meal each day, together with a sense of loving security and an all-round education – but they are also doing great work in building up the parish.
However, the most urgent need for these sisters was a car, so that they could reach all the areas where they work on the fringes of the town for which there is no public transport available. Their old car was already in a very dilapidated state, given the poor road conditions. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, we were able to help them with a contribution of 2,960 Euros to buy a four door Fiat. Now they can much more easily reach all the places where they are most needed.
The sisters have written to thank you all, from the bottom of their hearts. “May God bless you all abundantly!”, they write to us.
