It was in early 2013, after the CICM general assembly that I was officially sent to work in a new mission in the diocese of Almenara: particularly, in the Saint Anthony of Padua parish in the municipality of Jacinto. Having already worked in the diocese of Itabira and Marabá, this third assignment has helped to further widen my missionary perspective. Jacinto is located in the valley of Jequitinhonha, roughly 500 miles north of the state capital of Belo Horizonte. The most recent census shows that Jacinto has approximately twelve thousand residents. According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), the valley of Jequitinhonha represents one of the worst social realities in the country, and one of the poorest regions in the world. It is considered to be a very remote part of Brazil, with poor road access. The landscape features large areas of soil that is depleted and regularly punished by droughts and floods. The people live simply. They primarily support themselves with cattle farming, one of the main economic activities in the region, and with a little agricultural farming for their domestic sustenance. I’m told that the area was once covered with forest, but that mining activities and deforestation have degraded the region. The Jequitinhonha River that flows mainly through the state of Minas Gerais and descends to a coastal plain in the diocese of Almenara was apparently once considered one of the most beautiful river beaches of the country. But today, the waters are polluted and clean sand has turned dark and muddy due to mining streams that have polluted the river with oil and mercury.
Though I didn’t know very much about the region before arriving, two things were clear: the poverty of the people and the need for missionary support. In fact, the diocese had seventeen existing parishes, staffed by only seven diocesan priests. The bishop had to rely on the assistance of certain religious communities to cover the needs across the diocese. Needless to say, Fr. Alphonse Mukenza and I were welcomed to take on the duties of caring for the Saint Anthony of Padua parish in Jacinto.
Territorially speaking, Saint Anthony of Padua parish is quite large. It has a land area of about 865 square miles. Among the seventeen separate communities within the parish, six of them are situated across the Jequitinhonha River. There is a river barge that carries vehicles from one side to another; however, the barge doesn’t work when it’s too dry or when the river is too mud-filled during the rainy season. Essentially this means that there is a “good time” and “bad time” for making visits to these communities. Otherwise, the trip is only possible by circumnavigating the river, which can take a full day of travel to complete. Nearly 90% of both the local and national roads in the parish area remain unpaved, and the lack of appropriate road signs causes many accidents among travelers.
Getting to know the People
I have learned to spend time simply listening and observing when I am first in a new mission. My initial impressions here are that the people are friendly, hospitable, and slightly reserved; they are much like other communities where I’ve worked among people living on the periphery. Once you have become friends, they are generous with their time and attention. They will ask you into their homes and offer whatever is available from their kitchens. In fact, I usually return from my community/family visits with various agricultural and homemade products: produce from the community, milk, cheese, etc.... They have said to me, “Here, we don’t have money to give… but we can offer you some fruits of our labor and products of our sweat.”
The Religious Aspect
The state of Minas Gerais is considered to be a majority Catholic region in the country, with some 75% of its people identifying as Catholic. Mineiros (people of Minas Gerais) are generally thought of as kind, religious and family-oriented. And this can be said as well of our little municipality of Jacinto. Municipal authorities in Jacinto even declare a holiday for the city’s patron saint, Anthony of Padua. There are a series of social and religious activities marking the occasion: shows, dances, cultural presentations, and a novena prayer all take place at the church before the proper town fiesta. The people of our area tend to be socially conservative, and many of them are a bit suspicious of people who aspire to bring about changes to their religious practices, beliefs and traditions.
Social Struggles
Jacinto is not untouched by the typical problems that plague the county’s poorer communities. Corruption, migration, illiteracy, and nepotism are common. There is a dominating social class that struggles to maintain political power and control of the natural resources of the region. Property rights conflicts have even led to assassinations in the region, and street demonstrations promoting social justice and government land reform are common.
Infrastructure in the region is poor. There are many people who are living in slum conditions, without proper sewer or water systems available. The national road that connects Jacinto to the city of Almenara was, accordingly to the government archives, asphalted many years ago, but in reality, the road remains unpaved. Damage and lack of maintenance to wooden bridges in the region cause numerous vehicle accidents. With no health specialists or facilities in the region, it can be very difficult for the sick to obtain needed care. It is not unusual for people to go without even the most common medications because they are only available in the bigger cities; I have known many people to die as a result of the lack of treatment or medical interventions.
Today the municipality faces a decline in its population and its skilled individuals and professionals. Many small Catholic communities in the countryside have been closed because of the migration trend from rural life to metropolitan settings. Children from somewhat privileged families are usually sent to study in larger cities of the country, and to establish a better future there as well. Children from poorer families are often charged with finding “greener pastures” in the urban centers after the family sells off their property in a rural area; sadly, most of these people end up in slum-like housing settlements. We can’t blame the younger generations for flocking to São Paulo, Rio De Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and even abroad, because the region that was once characterized by forest, beautiful river beaches, and the natural riches of gold and gems is now a tainted memory.
Missionary Challenges
Working in a vast mission area sometimes makes it difficult for us to achieve our mission goals. Though the territorial area of the parish is enormous—surrounded by hills and mountain rocks—the travelling for pastoral and community ministry is impacted and measured more by time than the span of miles traversed. Celebrating Mass for instance, in a particular community that may be 30 miles away, with only seven to ten parishioners present, can be difficult to schedule. Just to make sense of the time spent to travel, I will often arrive early to the community in order to make some pastoral or family visits before the Eucharistic celebration. Definitely the lack of community leaders, and the need for human and spiritual formation in every aspect of life are the existing challenges for us in the parish. That’s why, as we formulated our mission plans with the parish council members, we are focusing intently on lay formation and leadership training for future leaders in the community. It will take time but, little by little, we realize our mission projects in effective ways. Though the lack of financial resources has been a challenge that we’ve faced from the beginning, the collaboration of some generous families and the untiring help of our community mission partners and benefactors allows our missionary dream to always keep moving forward.
Joy in the Mission
If there is one thing that I have learned from working in several missions thus far, it’s that the secret to success and happiness in missionary life is love. It sounds simple, but the truth is that loving the people to whom we are sent, and valuing them for who they are, is what makes the circumstances we encounter and the work we do worthwhile. We simply need to be our real selves in their midst, expect little, and do good things. We are here—I am here—to witness the Gospel messages and the love of God through Jesus Christ. Our CICM founder (Theophile Verbist) said: “To those who love, nothing is difficult.” Work in the missions demands love, tolerance, sacrifices, and patience. My reward is being present during the happy and also the difficult moments of people’s lives: praying, eating, singing, playing, laughing and even crying. Effective missionaries are those who can touch the lives of the people, and be a reflection of the love of God for them. Thank you for supporting our presence among the people of southeastern Brazil.
Fr. Noel Espina, cicm, is a Philippine native who joined Missionhurst-CICM in 2002, was sent to the mission of Brazil in 2006, and ordained in 2010. Currently, Fr. Noel is serving as assistant pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua parish, in the northeast region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
