Success Story: repairs to a river boat for pastoral work in the Amazon region

The diocese of Humaità, in the Amazon region of Brazil, has its own river boat, equipped for pastoral work in the many riverside communities, which in most cases are accessible only via the waterways. Such journeys are difficult and dangerous, however, and the missionaries have to cope with rapids, large floating trees in the rivers, poisonous snakes and clouds of mosquitoes, making their lives difficult, to say the least. But a still more serious and dangerous problem in this case was the fact that their boat was in a very poor condition, with rotting timbers, a damaged keel and a number of other defects, rendering it in urgent need of refitting and repair.

Thanks to our kind benefactors, ACN was able to give the diocese 2800 Euros to enable it to repair the craft and make it riverworthy once again. So now the mission team, which includes a priest, a religious sister and other helpers such as seminarians, lay missionaries and additional religious sisters, can once again set out as before, each month, on a two-week pastoral outreach voyage, visiting the faithful in the riverside communities, praying with them, administering the Sacraments, offering religious instruction and generally helping and advising the people both practically and spiritually. The team generally spends a day or two in each community before moving onto the next one.

From time to time Bishop Antonio Fontinele de Melo also visits these riverside communities himself. He is very happy to know that his riverboat is once more in action, thanks to your help, and that his mission team is now safer on these journeys. He writes: „Today, the boat has already been recertified by the relevant river authorities and is carrying our missionaries along the waterways of our beloved Amazon to bring the message of the Gospel to those who most need it.“

Our warmest thanks to all of you who have helped!