Retreat and reconnection

MISSIONER NEWSLETTER – Fall 2024

Kathy Bond and Flávio Rocha, Brazil

Our project to promote a culture of peace in public schools continues to grow. Currently we are offering workshops and circles for students and staff in seven schools to share resources to deal with stress, anxiety, and violence.

Dear family and friends,

Warm greetings from the northeast of Brazil.  

From Kathy:  

I enjoyed seeing some of you during my travels last month in the United States to visit Maya and my family. A highlight for me was facilitating a day-long spirituality retreat for six Maryknoll Affiliates and two donors near Toledo, Ohio. We focused on eco-spirituality, which is an approach to faith that celebrates humanity’s connection to the natural world. During our time together, the group reflected on Thomas Berry’s writings, care of the earth, and being present to each other and our beautiful surroundings on the Portage River in Woodsville, Ohio. At the end of the day, each individual elaborated a personal plan to integrate the eco-spiritual learnings of the day into his or her daily life. I also loved lake time on Beadle Lake and Lake Michigan.

From Flávio:

We continue facilitating retreats in nature spots and a convent in the historical city of Olinda. The encounters started as a way to help people deal better with the stress and isolation of the pandemic and continue to be a place of prayer, connection, and community. Our last retreat was in the region where I grew up, and we had the biggest number of participants so far. Thirty-five people joined us in taking a microbus at 6 a.m. near our house and getting back at 9 p.m. to João Pessoa. We went to the rural area of Serra da Raiz, which is next to my hometown and also was the land of the Potiguar Indigenous people before the European invasion. In fact, it was there that one of the first indigenous massacres in Brazil happened in 1585. So we remembered them at the beginning of our day together.

Serra da Raiz is located on a hill and is very green. We had a beautiful day to connect with God through nature, body movement, group dynamics, and individual silence. We ended our retreat having coffee and watching a lovely sunset.

From both of us:

Our project to promote a culture of peace in public schools continues to grow. Currently we are offering workshops and circles for students and staff in seven schools to share resources to deal with stress, anxiety, and violence. If you would like to help us expand even more, please consider making a financial contribution to our ministry.  

• $50 would help offset our transportation costs to the schools for two months.
• $100 would help us offer an extra formation session for school staff dealing with burnout and anxiety.
• $500 would allow us to begin the work in another school.

Thank you for all your gifts over the years! We hold you in our prayers and hearts and ask you to hold us and the Brazilian people in yours.

In mission for a just and more compassionate world,

Flávio and Kathy

Please consider supporting our mission work in João Pessoa with a donation through the link below.

We invite you to walk with us as our “COMPANIONS IN MISSION.” Companions in Mission are friends and generous donors who give financial gifts on a regular (usually monthly) basis. For more information, visit Become a Companion in Mission. Thank you so much for your generosity!