AMERICA/BRAZIL - Another three missionary religious sisters sent to Haiti on behalf of the Church in Brazil

Brasilia (Agenzia Fides) – Three religious sisters depart from Brazil today, 21 February, for Port au Prince, (the capital of Haiti), where they will mainly work to help children and adolescents. Their work is part of a project of solidarity between the Church in Brazil and that in Haiti, commenced last year after the earthquake which destroyed the Haitian capital (see Fides 20/9/2010). According to information sent to Fides, on 16 February, the Bishop of Tefe (AM) and President of the National Missionary Council (Comina), Bishop Sergio Castriani, presided at the Mass for this occasion at the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil. He concelebrated with the Bishops of the Episcopal Pastoral Care Council of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference. Present also were the Provincial Superiors of the congregations which send out missionary sisters and members of the Conference of Religious of Brazil (CRB) and other groups of CNBB.
The sisters sent to Haiti are: Sister Iolanda de Oliveira Carneiro, of the Congregation of Divine Providence; Sister Veraluce Porfirio dos Santos, of the Congregation of the Sisters of St Catherine; Sister Maria Dalvani Sousa Andrade, Catechist from the Congregation of St Francis. They will join three other sisters who were sent to Haiti in September last year.
“This mission in Haiti has three characteristics,” Bishop Castriani said during the send-off Mass. “In the first place, we arrive on site after a great tragedy of natural, political and social character. Secondly, it is not the mission of a congregation but a mission of the Church in Brazil that is being taken on. Thirdly, is the closeness of Haiti to Brazil.” The Bishop stressed that the religious sisters were departing on behalf of the whole Church in Brazil: “You go on mission for us. It is a mission of generosity.” The project, coordinated by Comina falls under the responsibility of the Brazilian Bishops (CNBB) and the CRB (Council of Religious), with the support of Caritas Brasileira. “The CNBB thanks the sisters and their congregations, which made them available for this mission in Haiti. Thanks also to the CRB for the coordination of this important service,” said the President of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 21/02/2011)