Brazil – JRS Brazil 20 years of mission
From the Jesuit Network with Migrants we would like to thank all the people who from the Jesuit Service to Migrants and Refugees Brazil complete this year two decades of shared journey with migrants and refugees in this great country.
In the month of April we commemorate 20 years of a mission that began in the south of the country (Porto Alegre) and that today is present in different cities and states, as a testimony of the decision to accompany all the people who, forced to migrate, seek spaces of dignified life and integration in Brazil.
Thank you for being Red in so many places!
The commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit Service for Migrants and Refugees (SJMR) in Porto Alegre, the city that saw the birth of this mission in 2003, began with a Mass of thanksgiving at the Santa Teresinha Church and the Santíssimo Sacramento Parish.
Its director Father Agnaldo Júnior S.J., who celebrated the mass in this commemorative year highlighted:
"We celebrate every gesture, every opportunity, every covenant and every life, whether of the people assisted or of our humanitarian workers. We reinforce our commitment to accompany, care for and defend migrants and refugees".
The celebration was extended with a group of children at the office facilities in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul: "It was an afternoon filled with lots of chocolate, games and hospitality, as every child's childhood should be".
One of the principles of JRS Brazil is to always work in collaboration with others and as part of this celebration, there was also a tour of the facilities of the Porto Alegre office with some partners; the Italian-Brazilian Center for Migration Assistance and Instruction (CIBAI), Professional Social Education (ESPRO), SOS Children's Villages and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) were present.
The Jesuit Migrant and Refugee Service (JRS) benefits thousands of people through the provision of free services, emergency interventions, protection, education projects, integration, psychosocial and pastoral support.
As a fundamental part of this celebration, the National Council of SJMR Brazil met face-to-face with the National Council of SJMR Brazil. R Brazil, met in person at the Centro de Espiritualidade Cristo Rei (CECREI), in São Leopoldo (RS) "to conduct a context analysis, planning and monitoring of its activities".
And to end the celebration, the actor Eduardo Mossri presented an excerpt from his play "Boa Noite Boa Vista" which arose from his experience as a volunteer in Roraima in 2020, where he was able to learn about the life stories of forced migrants and refugees accompanied by SJMR Brazil.
Seethe article on the SJMR Brazil website and learn more.
Source: redjesuitasconmigranteslac.org
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