Mission Sunday 22nd October 2006
Every year in October the world wide church celebrates “Mission Sunday”, a day of prayer and of promotion and support of the “Missionary Work” of the church.
This Mission Sunday, 22nd October 2006 is unlike any I have ever celebrated. Early this morning after Mass I will set out on a long Missionary Journey.
Every year in October the world wide church celebrates “Mission Sunday”, a day of prayer and of promotion and support of the “Missionary Work” of the church.
This Mission Sunday, 22nd October 2006 is unlike any I have ever celebrated. Early this morning after Mass I will set out on a long Missionary Journey.
Day 1 - Sunday / Domingo
5.30 am I depart for the regional house in São Paulo and drive my little alcohol powered car, and hopefully also powered and guided by the Holy Spirit on a long journey.
“A journey that began long before this very day.”
I hope to drive half way to Campo Grande, capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. On this day’s journey I will drive through most of the state of São Paulo. I will find lodgings along the road somewhere.
São Paulo to Campo Grande is 1000km.
Day 2 - Monday / Segunda-feira
I will continue the second half of the journey to Campo Grande and hopefully meet up with Fr. Thomas Naidu Joekeen . Thomas is ordained only a few years. He is from India and was trained in Kenya, Africa by Fr. Tommy Curran a native of my last parish of Gorey, Co. Wexford. Thomas was in the language school in Brasilia with me. And he has started in a new parish in Campo Grande last week.
Day 3 - Tuesday / Terça-feira
Rest and enjoy the sights of Campo Grande and some Indian hospitality.
Day 4 - Wednesday / Quarta-feira
Continue my journey towards Cuiabá the capital of Mato Grosso State leaving Mato Grosso do Sul behind as I travel through “The Pantanal” which is a huge expanse of wetlands which holds the richest diversity of Brazilian wild life outside of the Amazon. I believe it is a very popular area with tourists. Maybe I will get a chance of taking a few pictures for the website.
I will pass through the city of Rondonópolis.
I hope to stay the night is the local seminary in Várzea Grande outside of Cuiabá. Here I will get a chance to meet the students of my new Diocese of Juina. Some I have already met and possibly some will be working with me in the near future.
Juina Diocese is a new diocese, eight years old and has only four of its own priests but has a good number of students.
Campo Grande to Cuiabá is 687km
Day 5 - Thursday / Quinta-feira
This is where the fun starts!
This is where I leave the main highways and take to the country roads most but not all will have an asphalt surface. This is where my little car and my driving skills will be put to the test.
I will be passing through little towns with names like;
Jangada
Bauxi
Barra do Bugres
Tangará da Serra
Campo Novo do Parecis
Brasnorte is the first of the parishes of my new diocese of “Juina” that I will pass through.
I hope to avail of the hospitality this night of the parish of St. Joseph the Worker / Paróquia São José Operário and Padre Eurico Krautler.
While working in Juruena for the three months I had the chance to meet Eurico and the other priests and sisters of the diocese at a number of meetings.
I am not sure of the distance but on the overnight bus it took ten hours from Brasnorte to Cuiabá.
Day 6 - Friday / Sexta-feira
The last lap of the journey begins. All the roads will be dirt roads, no asphalt until I arrive in Juina city.
My new parish of “Castanheira” is about one hour beyond Juina and about three hours south of my last parish of “Juruena”, all dirt roads of course.
Now we measure distances in time and not kilometres. This journey will take about six or seven hours of tough driving. Here’s hoping and praying that the rains will keep away for those days and that the roads wont be too mucky and that I won’t end up being stuck too many times in the muck. I have a tow rope!!!
Day 7 - Saturday / Sábado
I take up residence in my new parish where I will be working with Fr. Derek Byrne a Kiltegan Priest. He will have left the previous Monday to visit a very sick friend in Ireland, so I will be on my own again until he returns.
Here is my new Address:
Padre Denis Browne
Paróqiua Santo Antônio
Rua Santo Antônio
12178345-000 Castanheira
Mato Grosso
Brazil
Phone: 00 55 66 3581 1210
SKYPE:"Denis Browne"
Of course it is only now that the Missionary Journey REALLY begins!
Of course it is only now that the Missionary Journey REALLY begins!
