“I work in São Paulo, in the Ipiranga region, where our International Theological Seminary is located. Here, young men from eight nationalities study theology to prepare for their mission as missionary priests,” explains Father Mauricio Guevara, an Argentine Consolata missionary and rector of the Father Giovanni Battista Bisio Seminary in Brazil. The Brazil Region also hosts the American Continent Novitiate in Manaus.
By Jaime C. Patias *
Throughout its history, the theological seminary in Brazil has operated in various locations: Jardim São Bento near the Regional House, the Pedra Branca neighborhood, and the Jardim Peri parish in the northern zone of São Paulo. In 1987, this phase of formation in Brazil was closed and only reopened in 1997 at its current location.
This year, the formation community consists of two priests and 17 students (two are in Curitiba and two are in the Regional House). “One of the challenges arises from being in the outskirts, as the house borders a ‘favela’ called Boqueirão. These are our neighbors, with whom we share our daily lives as missionaries, even in situations of extreme difficulty and need. However, what is most important about this house is that it serves as the place where young missionary are prepared to face the significant challenges of the missions where they will later serve across the four continents,” emphasizes Father Mauricio.
Lifelong Formation
Regarding the ongoing formation course he attended last September, Father Mauricio highlights that 14 formators from the Institute, coming from different parts of the world, gathered “to update themselves on the major challenges of today’s society and culture. For example, we addressed technology, artificial intelligence, and everything related to these changes that impact the new generations. We also discussed issues such as individualism and materialism, which are prevalent in today’s globalized world. The course was very enriching, as it enabled us to better guide our young people in a more culturally relevant way and be more integrated into this reality.”
After completing his novitiate in Martin Coronado, Argentina, in 2000, Father Mauricio studied theology at the then International Seminary in Kinshasa (2000–2005) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he was ordained a deacon and carried out his ministry. After being ordained a priest in Argentina in 2005, he worked in Missionary Animation and Vocational Promotion in Portugal, and later served as Regional Superior in Argentina for six years, supporting the lives and missions of many confreres.
For him, the most significant aspect of the course in Rome was understanding formation “not as a phase lasting five or ten years of life. Formation begins the moment we knock on the door of the Institute and decide to join this life. This is the great novelty. In the past, we spoke of initial formation lasting ten years. Today, it is different. When you join the congregation, you understand that formation is a lifelong commitment. As long as you are a missionary, you are being formed,” he reiterates.
Saint Joseph Allamano
The formator concluded by expressing his great joy at seeing their Founder proclaimed a saint for the entire Church. “Being here in Rome and in the Founder’s homeland is both a great joy and a profound vocational motivation, as we look to this great man who left us a remarkable legacy and mission to bring Mary’s Consolation to the whole world.”
* Father Jaime C. Patias, IMC, Communications Office
