Aparecida, Brasil. July 6, 2024. Memory and enthusiasm for the mission: these two words were the tone of the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Claretian Congregation, held at the National Shrine of Aparecida in Brazil, by the Claretian Province of the country. On Saturday, July 6, Claretian missionaries, religious men and women, lay collaborators, and associates involved in various missionary fronts participated in the rosary recitation at 2:00 PM and the mass at 6:00 PM.

The National Shrine of Aparecida, one of the largest pilgrimage centers in the world and a place of great Marian devotion, was chosen as the setting for this special jubilee celebration. Around 500 people were present, representing parishes, schools, the publishing house, social works, and the provincial curia.

At 2:00 PM, the rosary was recited, led by lay people and Claretian missionaries. Following this, the consecration to Our Lady of Aparecida, a deeply rooted act of devotion in Brazilian religious culture, took place.

At 6:00 PM, a thanksgiving mass for the congregation’s jubilee was celebrated, presided over by the Archbishop of Aparecida, Mons. Dom Orlando Brandis, and concelebrated by the Claretian missionaries present. Mons. Dom Orlando, in his homily, recalled the missionary life of the founder, Saint Anthony Mary Claret, and invited the Claretian missionaries to always be a sign of the love that burns in Mary’s heart.

Throughout the celebration, the founding image of the Congregation was present on the altar. Dom Orlando, who has worked closely with Claretian religious men and women, highlighted the importance of the Congregation and its work in over 70 countries, in its various forms of mission: parishes, schools, media, and the publishing house. The Archbishop invited the Provincial Superior, Fr. Eguione Nogueira Ricardo, CMF, to preside over the mass starting from the Eucharistic Prayer. Once again, at the end, the consecration to Our Lady of Aparecida was prayed, led by the Claretian missionary Fr. Pedro Divino de Vilas Boas, CMF, who will celebrate his 50th year of priesthood in 2024.

After the mass, the Claretian participants gathered in front of the National Shrine to take a photograph marking this significant day.