Brazil: ACN launches 11 new projects in areas hit by Covid-19

Shalom Community member delivers food parcel to family © image ACN

Source: ACN

Brazil, which has the second highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world - is set to benefit from an emergency aid package just approved by Aid to the Church in Need. As part of its campaign to support priests and religious working with the weak and vulnerable in areas affected by the pandemic, ACN has announced 11 new projects in Brazil.

Brazil's health authorities stopped issuing figures of COVD-19 cases on Saturday (6th June) but, according to latest reports, there could be more than 692,000 people with the virus.

ACN's aid for Brazil will provide support for 169 priests, 141 Sisters, 31 seminarians and 56 lay missionaries helping their local communities during the pandemic. This includes priests in the state of Ceará, north-east Brazil, where, as of today (8th June), there were 63,957 confirmed cases and 3,981 had died of the virus.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a number of parishes have collected food and other essential supplies to help the most needy. Some parishes are providing poor families with an evening meal each day - but the money is running out.

Itapipoca diocesan treasurer Father Francisco Danízio Silva told ACN that he is counting on the kindness of the ordinary people.

He said: "During these times we are going through, the support of every individual is very important. With the little that we have we can still help many people. Our Church is poor and in need, but it is rich in the grace of God and in kind and generous people."

He explained how with no public Masses - and no collections - the income from the faithful has fallen by around 60 percent, adding "what resources we did have are now becoming exhausted".

Fr Danizio said: "Recently we have made great efforts to raise funds, but it is now getting very difficult, since the people themselves have next to nothing. You, the benefactors of ACN, have helped us greatly. During this time, your support is directly linked to the help we can give to these brothers and sisters of ours who need so much... who need our compassion, our attention and our loving support as well.

"I pray to God, through the intercession of his most holy Mother Mary, that he may bless each and every one of you, and that your generosity will be the source of your salvation. May we never forget that helping our neighbour is one of the most effective ways of imitating our Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd."

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