The initiatives of the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida promote the reception, training, and social inclusion of thousands of people in vulnerable conditions.
The Province of Our Lady of Aparecida, of the Redemptorist Missionaries in Brazil, carries out extensive social work through Redemptorist Social Works, the main expression of which are the Social Assistance Centers (SACs in English). Inspired by the missionary charism of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, these initiatives embody, in daily life, the preferential option for the poorest and most disadvantaged.
Present in various regions of the country, SACs are spaces for the reception, training, and human development of children, adolescents, young people, adults, and seniors in situations of social vulnerability. In total, the province has 13 units distributed across the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Espírito Santo, located in contexts characterized by social, economic, and educational challenges.
Services are provided free of charge, on a planned and continuous basis, without discrimination, in accordance with the Organic Law on Social Assistance, especially in the area of basic social protection. Their actions are structured into services, programs, and projects aimed at strengthening family and community ties, preventing risk situations, and promoting the integral development of beneficiaries.
The Social Work Centers have a multidisciplinary team of 165 employees, including social workers, psychologists, social educators, and support professionals, trained in various fields. This diversity of expertise ensures qualified and humanized service, attentive to the needs of each person served. Currently, the Redemptorist Social Works are under the overall coordination of Father João Batista de Almeida, C.Ss.R., and Brother Joaquim Acassio Barbosa, C.Ss.R., who guide and strengthen the institutional mission in line with the values of the Congregation.
The activities are conducted within the scope of the Service for Sociability and Strengthening Bonds (SSSB), using diverse workshops such as Physical Activity, Crafts, Music, Cooking, and Digital Inclusion, among others, as well as socio-educational meetings, cultural activities, and training. The SAC also promotes complementary activities, such as meetings with families, technical assistance from psychologists and social workers, and coordination with the social assistance network in the areas where it operates.
The target audience is diverse, ranging from six-year-olds to adolescents and young adults developing their own life plans, as well as families needing support to strengthen their relationships and overcome vulnerabilities. Across all fronts, the focus is on promoting human dignity, empowering participants, and creating opportunities.
The Redemptorist Social Works are deeply rooted in the Congregation’s evangelizing mission. Following the example of Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who dedicated his life to those most in need, the Redemptorist Missionaries and their collaborators seek to be a supportive and transformative presence in the existential and geographical peripheries.
More than simply offering services, SAC are conceived as spaces of hope, where each person is recognized for their dignity and encouraged to develop their potential. In this way, the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida reaffirms its commitment to social justice, the promotion of life, and the construction of a more fraternal and inclusive society.
In this way, the Redemptorist Social Works continue to be a concrete testimony of faith that translates into action, carrying forward the Redemptorist mission of announcing the Good News to the poorest through concrete gestures of care, welcome, and social transformation.
Camila Abreu – SAC Communications
