The community in Brazil was the first founded outside of Peru. The Sodalitium was invited by the then Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Cardinal Eugenio de Araujo Sales, and the community was dedicated on January 30, 1986 to Nossa Senhora da Guia. In 1990, Sodalits founded a community in Petropolis, and in 1992 in Sao Paulo. In 2010, invited by Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, the Sodalitium established a community in the Archdiocese of Aparecida.
Currently, Brazil is designated a “region” of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The Regional Superior in Brazil is Alexandre Magalhães Borges.
From the beginning of its arrival in Brazil, the Sodalitium was placed in charge of the Nossa Senhora da Guia parish, in Rio de Janeiro. The Christian Life Movement grew alongside this pastoral assignment and is today present in various smaller cities besides Rio, Petropolis, Sao Paulo and Aparecida, such as Niterói, São Gonçalo, Morares Trajan, Paula Cândido, Areal, Meio da Serra and Guaratinguetá.
Teaching and other faith-related services offered to schools form an important part of the Sodalitium’s youth apostolate in Brazil. Many young people are also active in Buscando o Sentido, a youth YouTube channel.
In the area of Christian solidarity with the poor, the “Somar” association contributes to human development according to the social teachings of the Church, creating better living conditions for poor individuals and families. Somar currently manages centers for solidarity work in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Petrópolis. It also offers extra-curricular study and supplementary programs in environmental education, art education, computer science, etc. for school-age students.
Missions trips are also organized year after year to impoverished areas, in which different groups of people, especially the youth, get involved.
Since its founding in Brazil, the community has held the evangelization of culture as an important apostolic goal. In Petropolis the Center for Catholic Studies hosts several projects that promote Catholic art and thought. Among these projects, “Histórias de Natal,” an art competition that seeks to promote the true meaning of Christmas, has been particularly successful.
Also, in the area of cultural evangelization, several Sodalits work with the National Shrine of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, producing videos, web pages, and other internet content for it.
To contact the Sodalit community in Brazil write or call:
Gilberto Teixeira da Cunha
g.teixeira@sodalitium.org
+55 12 3105-3572