Community has 120 residents, most of them youth

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries have a new chapel in Tsorépré, a Xavante Indigenous village located in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, thanks to donor funding. The funding came from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

The community has 120 residents, most of them youth, living in houses made of tarpaulins and tents. The village is simple with little farming. People depend heavily on government assistance. The community had been gathering to pray under the trees, with a dream to have a small chapel for prayer.

With the donor funding, the community came together to help build the chapel. Members of the community washed the sand and built the foundation with the masons. After that, the walls were built. While construction was underway, other materials such as roof tiles, a statue, chairs, a cross and floodlights were also bought. Once the inside was completed, the community helped with finishing a sidewalk, painting the building and curating the grounds around it.

A Salesian noted, “The people are happy with the chapel, because it was a dream after many years. Youth arrived early for the inaugural celebration and sat on the chairs without fear of heat, dust, or rain. The chapel has been used for the daily Rosary and the Mass on Sunday. The community has been able to come together in unity for prayers and is grateful for the support.”

One of those in the community is Emiliano Tsirérõdi Tsoropré, who is 78 years old. He said, “Since the founding of the village, we used to pray under the trees. We were exposed to the sun, dust and wind. When it’s raining, we couldn’t pray in community. We are incredibly grateful for this new chapel. It has brought the whole community together, even those who had once stopped praying with us.”

Just over 15% of Brazilians live in poverty, with the majority living in the rural northeast of the country, according to the World Bank. While Brazil is making positive changes, there are still large gaps between people who are poor and people who are rich. Issues of income inequality and social exclusion remain at the root of poverty.

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – Brazil

World Bank – Brazil