AMERICA/BRAZIL - Saint Filippo Smaldone Youth Centre in Anapolis: point of reference for formation, guidance and support for young people and pastoral care for deaf persons

Thursday, 19 July 2007

Anàpolis (Agenzia Fides) - On 24 July in Anàpolis, in the Brazilian state of Goias, the Archbishop of di Lecce, Italy. Archbishop Cosmo Francesco Ruppi and Sr Maria Longo the Mother General of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, will inaugurate Saint Filippo Smaldone Youth Centre.
"Young people are our hope for the future and for this great nation of Brazil this is why we decided to open this youth centre to be a point of reference for formation, guidance and support for young people in this district of Goias state where there is a shortage of similar structures and where young people encounter many difficulties. We also hope to offer pastoral care for deaf people especially among the young ones and for prevention. The presence of Archbishop Ruppi, creates an ideal bond between Brazil and Lecce and mother house there which is the heart of the Congregation which our Founder wished to be missionary" says Sr Ines De Giorgi,
From 26 to 29 July the San Filippo Smaldone Retreat House in Brasilia, will host a meeting on the theme "The new challenges in education for deaf persons" promoted by the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts. Speakers will include the Archbishop of Lecce, Sr Pina de Carlo, scholastic advisor, the apostolic Nuncio to Brazil, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri and many experts from Brazil and Italy.
Filippo Smaldone, canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 15 October 2006, was born in Naples in 1848 and died in Lecce in 1923. His family was poor but deeply religious. He was ordained a priest at the age of 23. He dedicated himself with enthusiasm to catechism and pastoral care of the sick. He thought serious of going on mission but his spiritual director said “your China is Naples” and that his mission was to evangelise the deaf-mute. So he joined a group of priests who worked to assist and educate the dead-mute. In 1885 he moved to Lecce, for the opening of a Home for the Deaf-Mute. Here he founded the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts for the care of deaf-mute persons. Today there are about 400 Sisters present in forty communities in Italia, Brazil, Moldavia, Paraguay and Rwanda. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 19/7/2007, righe 26, parole 385)


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