12. Charity from outside

The Parish of Saint Rita’s needs outside help for being at the missionary forefront, lacking people, economic resources and materials. The first recollects had not been a year in Tapaua when they needed to turn to outside help, in order to sustain their work. This they did with campaigns in parishes, on radio and television, and in newspapers and magazines in the South of Brazil.

The Catholic charity Cáritas (CAFOD), thanks to the recently opened Parish, established in Tapaua the programme Food for peace from the Government of John F. Kennedy. It distributed surplus food from the United States: maize flour, powdered milk, tinned butter and cheese…

The religious community has been a place of welcome for those coming from outside, and doing some work in the community: investigators of the black fever; volunteers from the Federal University of Minas Gerais within the Rondón project; volunteers from the recollect family…

In February 1993 the female Missionary Oblates of the Assumption came to Tapaua, after various years of waiting, dialogue and plans. They had worked in areas of health, education, social services, children and young people, pastoral care of the sacraments, the indigenous and the environment. They had a centre for taking in young girls, another for traditional medicines, and their members formed a very important part of various teams of pastoral work, especially for the rural zone.

In 2004 Sister Rosa said goodbye after fifteen years. She was a Dutch Oblate and one of the religious whose figure has made the most impression on the local population, for her work and her kindness. She started a centre of local treatments, that as well as carrying out thousands of treatments, has safeguarded a large part of the culture of homemade, traditional and effective remedies.

Tapaua as a Parish, and as a civil society, owes a lot to institutions like Adveniat, Misereor, the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, the Augustinian Recollect NGOd Haren Alde, the NGOd La Esperanza (Hope), and the families of missionaries in Spain, Mexico; as well as the volunteers. They have helped, so that all the actions carried out in the last fifty years have become a reality.

NEXT PAGE: 13. Witnesses: Jesus Moraza

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