Divinópolis, whose name means ‘City of the Holy Spirit’, is a ‘small town in Brazil’ with a population of around 250,000, but imbued with great spiritual fervour. Here, faith has a profound impact on people’s lives. It is also home to the Chemin Neuf Community’s guest house, a place that welcomes hundreds of people every year who are seeking a time of intimacy with God: a time of silence, listening, healing and inner renewal. Many return home transformed by the experience of God’s love they have encountered here. Whether it is the Cana Week, intended for couples and families; the Summer Camp, which brings together young people aged 14 to 18 and 18 to 30; or the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, each retreat offers a setting conducive to the spiritual and fraternal growth of each individual.
Currently, two sisters, a family with five children, and three young students/professionals live in the house, supported by the five couples of the neighbourhood fraternity, who are always present, whether for missions, prayer groups, fraternal activities or weekly Mass. It is a small part of the Chemin Neuf Community, but it bears beautiful witness to fraternity and unity in mission.
On 7 December, we organised a large gathering to bring together all those who help us throughout the year in our missions in Brazil. We began with a beautiful outdoor Mass, followed by a ‘Fogo de Chão’ (ground fire) lunch, a traditional Brazilian barbecue where the meat is roasted directly over the coals. We concluded with an intense moment of praise and beautiful testimonies about the impact of this house on the lives of so many people.
We also celebrated the completion of the first stage of the roof of the new shelter, a space that will soon host countless moments of grace and action of the Holy Spirit. There is no doubt that it will contribute to making this city an even more ‘Divino’ (divine) place!
We are taking advantage of this news to share with you a major project to completely renovate a building to host spiritual retreats and CANA sessions, Mission Jeunes. To support us, click here.
