Category Archives: Month of Nazareth

Month of Nazareth. Brazil. January 2026

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Dear brothers of the Priestly Fraternity of Jesus Caritas,

we experienced the MONTH OF NAZARETH, from January 5th to 29th, in Goiás (GO – Brazil). It was a time of grace, prayer, fraternal fellowship, and profound spiritual renewal. We wish to share with you a brief summary of what the Lord allowed us to experience in this month so fruitful for our priestly journey.

From the beginning, we were invited to revisit our personal and vocational history, recognizing God’s action in our lives.

Bishop Eugênio Rixen helped us to “forge fraternity,” recalling the witness of Saint Charles de Foucauld and so many brothers and sisters who chose to live among the poor, not only helping them, but becoming their brothers and sisters. We learned that evangelizing is more about presence than discourse, more about living together than about deeds, more about listening than about taking the lead. The prayer of abandonment led us to a deep and serene trust in the hands of the Father.

With Fr. Carlos Roberto, we meditated on the fact that we only offer one adoration: we adore Christ in the Word and in the Gospels, we adore Christ in the Eucharist and in Eucharistic adoration, just as we adore Him present in the poor, in the least of the least. The Eucharist extends into charity, therefore, serving our brother is to continue the adoration. We were reminded that a priest cannot live in isolation: fraternity sustains, heals, and animates our mission. We were also called to care for human, emotional, and spiritual health, with rest, spiritual direction, and accompaniment when necessary.

Deacon José Gomes brought to light a delicate and necessary theme: fatigue and psychological suffering in the presbytery. In the light of Moses and Elijah, we realized that even the great prophets experienced exhaustion. God first cares, feeds, and gives rest, and then sends again. We are called to recognize our limits and to allow ourselves to be cared for.

During the Retreat week, Bishop Edson Damian broadened our horizons by meditating with us on the spirituality of integral ecology: creation as the first Gospel and the Common Home as a gift entrusted to us. He reinforced priestly fraternity, communion with the Church, the fight against clericalism, and the preferential option for the poor as concrete criteria for conversion. He reminded us that there is no following of Jesus without simplicity, justice, and commitment to the least fortunate.

Prayer also occupied a central place. We were encouraged to remain before the Lord, for it is from intimacy with Him that mission is born. Without adoration of the Beloved Jesus, our action risks becoming activism.

Finally, the meditation on the Magnificat presented Mary in her humanity: with fears, silence, and trust. She teaches us that God works wonders in smallness. We are called to this “postgraduate course in humility,” where true greatness is to trust and serve.

During the week of the 27th to the 28th, we were joined by Father José de Anchieta, national responsible of the Jesus Caritas Fraternity; Father Anchieta addressed the following themes: The Prophetism of Charles de Foucauld: emphasis was placed on this phrase: “let us not be sleeping sentinels and mute dogs, indifferent shepherds”; the text was taken from the writings of Canon Celso Pedro and José Bizon. Following this, we meditated on the humble means of evangelization. Continuing the formation, Father Anchieta reflected on UNIVERSAL FRATERNITY
Fraternal love for all men: ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. Continuing with the themes, we meditated on the Priestly Fraternity Jesus Caritas in Brazil, historical data, pointed out by Jaime Jongmans and updated by Carlos Roberto); highlighting its beginning in 1951-1962. And finally, Father Anchieta gave us guidelines for the engagement of members in the Priestly Fraternity of Jesus Caritas. With the proper guidance, at the end of the month of Nazareth, the ceremony of “engagement” of the new members was held during Holy Mass.

We leave this month with the conviction that our vocation is to be universal brothers: men of prayer, simple presence, fraternal communion, and real closeness to the poor. More than doing a lot, we are called to love better. More than great projects, to remain with Jesus and with the people.

May Saint Charles de Foucauld help us to live as “brothers to all” and may the Lord strengthen our priestly fraternity.

With fraternal esteem and prayer for each one,

1. Fr. João Paulo Carvalho e Silva. Teresina – Piauí

2. Fr. João Batista Toledo da Silveira. Niterói RJ

3. Fr. Milton Afonso do Nascimento. Marília, SP

4. Fr. Edvaldo Rosário Calazans. São José do Rio Preto, SP

5. Fr. Paulo Leandro da Silva, Diocese of Guarulhos, SP

6. Deacon Florismundo Roderich Maranhão Cavalcante. Recife, PE

📃 PDF: Month of Nazareth. Brazil. January 2026 en

Week of Nazareth. Chili. February 2023

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On Friday and Saturday we began to arrive the organizing team: Donata, Fernando, Jaime and Paolo and the young participants: Ricardo, Patricio, Sebastián, Bryan, Arantza, Francisco, Isol, Javier and Cristóbal (these last two seminarians). Several did not know northern Chile. The Atacama Desert impressed them.

On Saturday afternoon we were all there and we started our week with an original presentation of each one. Prior to the Week, Paolo asked each of us to record a short presentation video. At the end of the screening of the videos, some questions were asked to complete the presentation. Thus began to weave our fraternity.

Paolo made a very good presentation of the theme of fraternity, using new technologies. Finally, two fraternities were formed for daily reflection and domestic services (cleaning, setting the table, washing dishes, etc.). . The names the young people chose are significant: “Sunwalkers” and “Little Brothers of Nazareth.”

We ended the day with a beautiful evening prayer.

Read the full document in PDF: WEEK OF NAZARETH FOR YOUNG PEOPLE – Chile – February 2023

Month of Nazareth 2021 Fraternity of Great Britain

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Month of Nazareth 6th September – 1st October 2021

The aim of the Month is to explore Nazareth – the spirituality of Br. Charles – in a practical and lived way so as to make it more effectively a part of our own lives and ministry to and with the People of God.

Charles’ own understanding of Nazareth changed and developed over the course of his life as a committed follower of Jesus Christ. Perhaps his own phrase “to cry the Gospel with our lives” and that of Pope Francis in “Fratelli Tutti” – to be a brother to all – summarise the essence of what, in the end, Nazareth meant to him.

The Month does not have a fixed structure or program of events. Although it needs some advance planning, it should also have a life of its own, arising out of the shared life of the brothers over these precious few weeks.

The main elements we should expect would be:

• Prayer: Mass, Office, Adoration.
• Work: Preparing meals, shopping, cleaning, manual work with the HOD community.
• Days in the Desert.
• Reviews of Life.
• Discussion on the life and teaching of Br Charles.
• Leisure: some free time every day, days out together such as a walk in the countryside, visits to places of interest.
• Teaching from visiting speakers.
• Retreat: The final few days will be a retreat given by Fr. Sean O’Gorman.

Venue: “The House of the Open Door,” Childswickham, Worcs. WR12 7HH. The home of an Ecumenical and Charismatic Community, HOD is a place of warm welcome, situated in the beautiful Worcestershire countryside, on the edge of the Cotswolds. http://www.houseoftheopendoor.org

Booking: Priority will be given to those able to attend the whole Month. Subject to room availability, it should be possible for others to join for the retreat. Also it might be possible to attend a portion of the Month if there are rooms available.

Cost: We expect the cost of the whole Month to be approximately £1420; for the Retreat alone, £330.

Non-residential attendance at retreat: £35 per day. These costings may come to vary slightly due to unknown factors, e.g. the numbers attending.
Finance must not be an obstacle to any Brother doing the Month. The Fraternity will help any brother who needs assistance.

If you are ready to book for the whole Month now, please do so by sending a cheque for £200 made out to “Jesus Caritas Fraternity” to:

Stephen Squires
65 Lichfield Avenue
Evesham
WR11 3EB.

If you are interested in coming to just the retreat, or for part of the Month, please let Stephen know and he will keep you in touch about availability. frstevesquires@aol.com

PDF: Month of Nazareth 2021 Fraternity of Great Britain