In the context of Jubilee 2025, the arrival of Easter in Fortaleza has meant the resurrection of some life projects that didn’t believe they had a viable future through decent work and community solidarity. These are two examples of social work that embody the mission of being Pilgrims of Hope.
Employment and a dignified future
Twelve people between the ages of 14 and 21, residents of the Conjunto Palmeiras and Jangurussu communities, participated in a Job Fair at the Saint Augustine Psychosocial Support Center (CAPSA), a project of the Augustinian Recollects in Fortaleza (Ceará, Brazil).
The initiative is the result of a partnership between CAPSA and the National Network for Learning, Social Promotion, and Integration (RENAPSI), which promotes vocational training programs, social inclusion, skills development, and labor market integration for adolescents and young people in vulnerable situations.
The young people participated in interviews, orientations, and activities to strengthen their sense of belonging, self-worth, and hope for the future. Some of them glimpsed for the first time the possibility of having a professional career, a job with a decent salary, and a daily routine that allows for comprehensive personal growth.
At the end of the day, the participants received the news that they would be referred to vocational training programs and new opportunities in the labor market, with salaries compatible with their roles and tasks.
According to the organizers, the event “was a turning point in the lives of these young people. They return home with bright eyes and hearts full of dreams. That is what motivates us.”
CAPSA and RENAPSI share a shared commitment to social transformation through education and inclusion. In addition to the specific aspects of professional growth, this Job Fair offered dignity, listening, appreciation, and self-affirmation of one’s dreams so that they can become real and viable life projects.
Easter Hope
CAPSA also took advantage of the Easter celebration to organize a community feast with the more than 300 people who participate in the Center’s programs. The Parish of St. Francis of Assisi, the Josephites of St. Leonard of Murialdo, the Benevolent Association of the Augustinian Recollects, and the local community itself joined in this celebration for the entire community and for all ages.
There was food, love, listening, acceptance, and fun. Every smile, every grateful look, every gesture of solidarity was important for a community that routinely lives amid indifference and abandonment by authorities, without public policies or investments in the face of current challenges and deep social wounds.
The social projects of the Augustinian Recollects in Fortaleza are framed within the mission and commitment to the Gospel, in the search for a more just, fraternal, and hopeful future. The Resurrection of Jesus is a reason to spread the Gospel in a practical way of joy and dignity in this Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope.
