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Construction of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Brazil Success Story "Our church is beautiful! I thank God every day
for the strength, the courage and the joy He gives me to work for Jesus and
Mary and I know that what we ask in God's name, in love and unity, will be
granted to us." These were the words of Lapinha, a member of the Catholic
faithful in the indigenous Indian village of Aldeia Velha in the state of Bahia.
They are delighted with their new church, which is dedicated to Our Lady of
Guadalupe. But it would not have been built without the $18,100 from ACN – which in turn would not have been possible without the generosity
of you, our benefactors. For many years now the Catholics have wanted to have a church of their own. There were already two Protestant chapels in the village, but the Catholic community was still having to meet in private homes or in the local community center to celebrate Holy Mass. Then, in 2008, the Catholics were given a plot of land on which to build a church – but they could not raise the money they needed to build one. The people in Aldeia Velha are very poor and have few opportunities for raising cash. They belong to the indigenous tribe of the Pataxo, and while many of them try to support their families by the sale of their own handmade craftwork, they have little opportunity to profit from the tourism on the coast. Thanks to the generosity of our benefactors, they have now been able to complete the church and it has been formally consecrated. They are all overjoyed and feel strengthened in their faith. As Maria Betania, another member of the parish, told us, "The building of this church has been extremely important to us. We have no words to thank you for the fact that our dream has now come true." Our heartfelt thanks also, and may God bless all of you for your help!
Code: 212-01-19 Aid to the Church in Need commits to invest your funds where they will have the greatest impact for the Church that we serve. Funds donated to Aid to the Church in Need’s projects will be used towards the greatest need in our programs to help keep the Faith alive. |
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Keeping the Faith Alive
