Summer 2026 newsletter
James Pawlowicz, Brazil
At the time of writing this, I’ve just completed a three-month course in language and culture through the Centro Cultural Missionário, a ministry of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference for foreign missionaries in Brazil. It was invigorating, inspiring, and thought-provoking to live in community with missionaries from all over the world. My Portuguese is much improved! I’m still a long way from fluent but more or less functional and confident. I’ve figured out how to manage my keyboard and computer in Portuguese (who knew Microsoft shortcuts and Excel formulas are different for different languages?!) and come around to cafezinhos instead of black tea for my morning pick-me-up. We discussed some of the salient issues in Brazil today, such as migration, abuse, and territorial disputes. Finally, two days after Corpus Christi, we broke up and went out to our various missions and ministries across the country.
Most of the class after a presentation by Rede Eclesial Pan-Amazônica (REPAM) (Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network)
James and Dom Ricardo Hoepers after the closing mass.
James, Michal, and their host family during a weekend stay in Ceilândia, a town outside of Brasília.
I returned yesterday to my mission home, João Pessoa, and my mission family, Kathy and Flavio. Along with a handful of administrative and logistical items, the big thing on my agenda is to get started in ministry. I have a few meetings scheduled to see how I might get involved in the short and long term, and I look forward to sharing more as things develop.
I’m both excited and a little nervous. Excited to help people and to express God’s love. Nervous about how I’ll meet others’ expectations and my own. But when I pray through these feelings, God draws my eyes up from the waves and re-orients my heart toward love. When I am animated by love for the people I am going to serve, the nerves fade away.
Maryknoll Lay Missioners has a summer theme of “mission begins with a smile,” and I think that’s right on point. Frequently, when I hear about injustice or misfortune, I feel compelled toward action by a sense of indignation, righteous anger, or Christian duty. These are the kinds of things that might send me into mission with a glower! And, unfortunately, animated thusly I would fail to experience the very nature of God: love.
So, as I step forward into mission, bringing my talents and attention, I pray for the mindfulness and prayerfulness to begin each encounter with love for the person or people in front of me.
Peace and all good,
James
