Where:
Where:Angola and Brazil
Target audience:
Target audience:Young people who are on the path to becoming friars
Who is following the project?
Who is following the project?fra Robson Luiz Scudela
Background
Angola is a young country rich in natural resources, especially oil and diamonds, but it is marked by severe inequality, poverty, and the scars of nearly thirty years of civil war.
In a society with a large Christian majority, the Catholic Church plays a crucial role in education, healthcare, and providing assistance to the most vulnerable communities.
The Friars in Angola
The Friars Minor have been present in the country since 1990, when the first missionaries arrived from Brazil in response to the call issued by Minister General John Vaughn in the 1988 document “Africa Calls.”
Today in Angola, there are 3 Brazilian friars and 93 Angolan friars spread across 5 fraternities. They are a sign of a living Church, as evidenced by the 10 young men who begin their formation each year to embrace the Franciscan way of life.
Meanwhile, the bond between the two countries has never been broken: the Angolan Custody still falls under the jurisdiction of the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception in Brazil and shares its language, history, and formation with it.
The formation of friars: a bridge between Angola and Brazil
After completing the initial stages of their formation in Angola, the young friars travel to Petrópolis, a Brazilian city not far from Rio de Janeiro, to complete their theological studies.
The Brazilian Province provides them with room and board and covers their tuition, while the OFM Fraternitas Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign to help cover the airfare and health insurance for the 21 young men expected to arrive next year: an investment to ensure that Angola has friars prepared to serve its people according to the Gospel.
Donate now
Your donation will support the educational efforts of the Angolan friars in Brazil.