On Sunday, August 16, the National Shrine of Aparecida hosted the funeral Mass of Fr. César Moreira, C.Ss.R., bringing together his Redemptorist brothers, family members and faithful in a moment of prayer and gratitude for the life of the Redemptorist missionary, whose ministry was closely linked to the history of Radio Aparecida and TV Aparecida.
A celebration presided over by the Archbishop of Aparecida
The Mass was presided over by Archbishop Mário Antonio da Silva of the Archdiocese of Aparecida (SP), and was marked by the memory of the priest, who dedicated much of his ministry to evangelization through communication.
In his homily, Father José Ulysses, C.Ss.R., who also concelebrated the Mass, emphasized the bond of friendship and the vocational journey he and Father César had shared since childhood. Both grew up practically together and walked the entire path of their formation, entrusting their lives into God’s hands. Father Ulysses remembered him as an active, dynamic, and creative child, and emphasized the richness of the gifts God had bestowed upon him.
At the helm of Radio and TV Aparecida
As Father Ulysses recounted, those talents found a special expression when the then Province of São Paulo called Father César to serve as communicator. At the helm of Radio Aparecida—a legacy of Father Vítor Coelho de Almeida CSsR—he was able to multiply his talents and ensured that the station, which reaches every corner, expanded even further.
His journey in the world of communications was also linked to the creation of TV Aparecida. For Father César, obtaining the concession for a television channel represented the realization of a great dream: he was the first to shape TV Aparecida, which, like the radio, was intended to be an emanation of the National Shrine.
In recalling this journey, Fr. Ulysses emphasized that the priest lived his mission with joy, dedication, and enthusiasm, placing his communication skills at the service of the Church and the Congregation.
A farewell on the feast of the Assumption
The coincidence of Fr. César’s passing and the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, celebrated that very Sunday, took on a special meaning for Fr. Ulysses, allowing us to contemplate the priest’s death in the light of Christian hope and faith in eternal life. At the end of his homily, he invited everyone to experience the celebration as a moment of gratitude for the life of the Redemptorist missionary and a renewal of faith in the resurrection.
Message from the Superior General
At the conclusion of the celebration, Father Fábio Evaristo, C.Ss.R., Treasurer of the National Shrine and member of the Provincial Government, read a message sent by Father Rogério Gomes, C.Ss.R., Superior General of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. On behalf of the General Government, he joined the confreres of the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida, the families, and collaborators of the Aparecida Communications Network, as well as the many people reached by his ministry. Father General emphasized Father César’s role as an evangelizer through the media: “His long career at Radio Aparecida and his decisive contribution to the early stages of TV Aparecida are part not only of the history of the province, but also of Catholic communication in Brazil.”
The presence of the priest’s body before the altar reminded the faithful of the Paschal dimension of the Christian faith, marked by the hope that death is not the end, but the passage to the eternal life promised by Christ.
(source: a12.com)
Biography
Antônio César Moreira Miguel was born on May 5, 1945, in Cachoeira Paulista (SP). His parents were Antônio Moreira Miguel and Abrozina Zacharias Miguel. They had seven children: four girls and three boys; Antônio César Moreira Miguel is the youngest. He was baptized on May 5, 1946, in the parish of Santo Antonio, in his hometown.
At the age of 11, in 1956, Antônio César Moreira left his family and entered the Pre-Seminary of La Pedrinha, in Guaratinguetá (SP), to become a Redemptorist missionary, a position he remained in until 1958. From 1959 to 1963, he resided at the Seminary of Santo Afonso, in Aparecida (SP), to complete his studies. At the end of this phase, in 1964, he completed his novitiate in Pindamonhangaba (SP) and professed temporary religious vows in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer on February 2, 1965, in the Historic Basilica of Aparecida.
After his temporary religious profession, he studied philosophy from 1965 to 1966 at the Santa Teresita Seminary in Tietê (SP). In 1967, he began theology in São Paulo and resided at the Alfonsianum Seminary until December 1970. In the same year, on March 1, he professed perpetual religious vows in the Redemptorist Congregation; on May 17, he was ordained a deacon by Bishop Ernesto de Paulo, Bishop Emeritus of Piracicaba (SP).
His priestly ordination took place on December 13, 1970, in the National Shrine of Aparecida, by Monsignor Juvenal Roriz, C.Ss.R., bishop-prelate of Rubiataba (GO).
From 1971 to 1972, he served as a formator at the Santa Teresinha Seminary and collaborated in the pastoral ministry of the Church in Tietê. At the same time, he obtained recognition for his Philosophy degree as a three-year degree from the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Mogi das Cruzes (SP). That same year, he earned a degree in Theology from the Theological Institute of São Paulo (ITESP). From 1973 to 1976, he resided in the Jardim Paulistano community and worked in the Vocation Ministry with great zeal and dynamism.
In the following years, from 1977 to 1980, he studied Journalism and Social Communication. During that time, he worked at the radio stations Globo, Excelsior (now CBN), Record, Capital, and América—all in São Paulo—and at Difusora in Goiânia (GO); this was how Fr. César Moreira began his career in the communications field.
In 1981 he was appointed director of Radio Aparecida and held this position until 1989. Thanks to his vast experience in the communications sector, he was elected president of the Union of Catholic Broadcasters (UNDA) and president of the Catholic Radio Network (RCR) for ten years, an organization of which he was one of the founders.
From 1990 to 1996, he returned to the Paulistano district and taught journalism at the Dehonian School of Taubaté (SP); during the same period, he served as Provincial Councilor. Between 1990 and 1998, he also taught courses at the University of Taubaté (Unitau). In 1997, he returned to Radio Aparecida as director, remaining there until 2012.
In 2005, he played a key role in launching TV Aparecida, setting up its first studios, purchasing equipment, defining its programming, and expanding it. In 2013, after many years dedicated to social communication, he took a sabbatical with a special program in Europe and Afonso.
In 2014, he returned to work with TV Aparecida in the journalism department. From 2015 to 2016, he lived in the Fratello Bento Community in Potim (SP), serving as director of the Province’s Social Assistance Centers (CAS). In 2017, he moved to the Sanctuary Community and collaborated in the pastoral care of pilgrims. In 2018, he returned to Potim and, at the end of the year, due to his health, was transferred to the Jardim Paulistano Community, where he remained from 2019 to 2020.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he returned to the Sanctuary Community to receive care from the nursing staff.
In April 2023, he was transferred to the Fratello Bento Community in Potim, where he continued to receive medical care and treatment. Due to his deteriorating health, he was admitted to the Holy House in Guaratinguetá and passed away at 10:00 PM on the evening of August 15.
Father César Moreira was a brother with great expertise in the field of communications; he loved what he did. In addition to his passion for radio and audiovisual communication, he also loved writing and published several books, including: “All of Me? When Life Becomes an Excuse,” “Words That Come and Go,” “Memories of Father Vítor on Radio Aparecida,” “Communication Can Also Be Learned,” “Religion Can Also Be Learned – Vol. 1,” and “Today’s Topic.”
He was an editor of the magazine *Boa Notícia*, of the Redemptorists Union of Brazil (URB), and has published countless articles in Catholic newspapers and magazines. For nearly two decades, he participated in Eli Correia’s program on Rádio Globo and Rádio Capital, in the “Momentos de fé” segment, answering listeners’ questions.
Father César Moreira lived 81 years; 61 years of religious consecration and 55 years of priesthood. May his life, dedicated to so many works in the Congregation, in the media, in writing, and in other fields, be rewarded with the prize of eternity, where he will be reunited with the saints, blesseds, servants, and blessed Redemptorists. May Our Lady of Aparecida lead this brother of ours to the fullness of happiness alongside Christ, of whom Fr. César Moreira was a faithful disciple and whom he served with perseverance until the last day of his life, remaining a living memory. May his eyes contemplate the face of God and be able to testify that “With Him, redemption is abundant.”
Grant him, O Lord, eternal rest, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace! Amen.
Secretariat of the Province of Our Lady of Aparecida (text published on a12.com)
