Brazil – Salesian missionaries begin the construction of a chapel in the Xavante Imaculada Conceição de Maria village
Campo Grande, Brazil – April 2024 – At the initiative of Salesian missionary Fr Joseph Tran Van Lich, Provincial Delegate for Missions and Missionary Animation in the Province of Campo Grande Brazil (BCG), a few weeks ago the construction of a small chapel for the Catholic community of the Xavante Imaculada Conceição de Maria village began. In addition to the masons hired by the Salesian missionaries, the village chief and other men of the community are engaged in the excavation of the foundations and the erection of the walls for the chapel that will be dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary. "The building" explains Fr Joseph Tran Van Lich "is a very simple chapel, as we find in the villages, with a room with an altar and a small room to accommodate the missionaries who go there for activities. The Imaculada Conceição de Maria village belongs to the Sangradouro – Volta Grande indigenous land, in the municipality of Nova São Joaquim (MT). The population of the village is about 70 people, all ethnic Xavante, and the Catholic community is very faithful and fervent, as witnessed by the parish priest Fr Juan Carlos Uscola. The distance of the village from the urban centres and the difficult access are some of the challenges to be faced for completion of the work, for this reason some fundraisers were started by Fr Clemente Deja, SDB, parish priest of the village more than 20 years ago, Fr Joseph Tran Van Lich, who This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.donors both in São Paulo and in his native land, Vietnam. Fr Ricardo Carlos, Superior of BCG Province, has guaranteed that the province headquarters will contribute to the construction of the chapel. Work will continue in the coming weeks and is expected to be completed during the Marian celebrations in May.