With great jubilation, the District of Brazil celebrated on December 17 the Final Vows of two seminarians, Mr. Antônio Wanderley Oliveira dos Santos, C.S.C., and Mr. Rivaldo Oliveira da Silva, C.S.C.
The Mass of Final Profession was held at São José do Jaguaré Parish, São Paulo. Fr. Laudeni Barbosa, C.S.C., Pastor, was the main celebrant and homilist. Br. Ronaldo de Almeida, C.S.C., Superior of the District, received the vows of Antônio and Rivaldo, and gave them their Final Profession crucifixes.
In his comments at the end of Mass, Br. Ronaldo gave thanks to God for their lives, vocation, and lifelong commitment to the mission of the Congregation of Holy Cross.
Although attendance was limited because of the coronavirus to immediate family, community members, and select friends, the profession was live-streamed on Facebook with many people tuning in throughout the Congregation. The reception that had been planned had to be canceled due to the local health regulations.
Unfortunately, Br. Thomas Dziekan, C.S.C., Provincial of the Moreau Province which has responsibility in the Congregation for the District of Brazil, was unable to attend because of the imposed travel restrictions.
Fr. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C., Director of Formation for the District of Chile-Peru, was able to make the celebration. Following their Novitiate in Peru in 2014, Antônio and Rivaldo spent the first three years of their post-Novitiate formation at the Holy Cross House of Formation in Santiago, Chile.
Read about the Holy Cross ministries in Brazil
Mr. Antônio Wanderley Oliveira dos Santos, C.S.C, is one of three children and was born in Alagoinhas, Bahia, Brazil, on May 11, 1982. He entered Holy Cross in 2013 and professed his First Vows on January 7, 2015. After completing three years of post-novitiate formation in Santiago, Antônio will complete his theology in Brazil in 2021. Antonio is grateful to all who accompanied him in formation and wishes to pursue a future in the education ministry. He currently is the Director of Pastoral at Colégio Dom Amando in Santarém.
Mr. Rivaldo Oliveira da Silva, C.S.C., is 30 years old and comes from Itabaiana Frei Paulo in Southeast Brazil. After being encouraged by a diocesan priest to pursue a vocation with Holy Cross, Rivaldo began formation in 2012 and professed his First Vows on January 6, 2016. He pursued his post-novitiate formation in Santiago and currently has one more year of theology to complete. Rivaldo is grateful to God for his varied experiences in Holy Cross, which will serve him well as he is appointed the new Vocation Director for the District.