Brazil

This Sunday (20), the Father Ezequiel Ramin Community celebrated a historic and symbolic milestone: the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Comboni missionary Ezequiel Ramin and also the 40th anniversary of the existence of the community that bears his name, in the municipality of Mirante da Serra (RO). The event brought together around 300 people, with representatives from neighboring communities and the Father Ezequiel Settlement, which also celebrates 25 years of its foundation.

The celebration was part of the 10th Pilgrimage of Father Ezequiel Ramin, which will take place on July 27th at the Fr. Ezequiel Ramin Community in Rondolândia, Mato Grosso. The Pilgrimage aims to keep alive the memory of the young missionary, who dedicated his life to defending the poor, rural workers, and indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

One of the most moving moments of the celebration was the presence and testimony of Fabiano Ramin, Father Ezequiel’s younger brother, who came from Italy especially to participate in the program commemorating the 40th anniversary of the martyrdom and the founding of the community. In his speech, marked by restrained emotion and profound gratitude, Fabiano emphasized the power of the memory that remains alive among the people Ezequiel chose to serve with his life.

“I feel like crying, but I won’t. Old people feel like crying when they’re very emotional. So, I’m in that situation. I’m the youngest of the Ramin family, and I’m very grateful to you for this celebration, for this occasion that commemorates not only the murder of Father Ezequiel, but also the birth of the community, the baptism of a people who continue to fight.”

He emphasized that the celebration is not just a remembrance of the past, but an act of hope and continuity: “I’m very happy to see that this community is alive. It fights, resists, and organizes itself. As the parish priest said, it requires sacrifice, time, and effort. The Christian mission, as Ezekiel wrote, is proclamation and denunciation. Denouncing injustice is part of faith. And you continue this mission.”

The presence of Comboni missionaries in Mirante da Serra throughout Missionary Week reaffirmed the continuity of the charism and mission of Father Ezequiel Ramin, who was also a Comboni missionary. They participated in pastoral activities, home visits, and moments of listening and prayer with the families of Our Lady of Migrants Parish, Diocese of Ji-Paraná.

The missionary presence reinforces the international and liberating dimension of the Church in the Amazon—a Church that walks with the people, listening to their pain and hopes. By visiting homes, the Comboni Missionaries strengthened community bonds and also revived Ezekiel’s missionary spirit: a faith that denounces injustice and proclaims hope.

The celebration continued with a community lunch, listening to residents, a performance by Clown Liro and closing with community bingo.

One of the most symbolic moments was the mystical performance performed by young people from the community, which portrayed the struggle for land and denounced the structures that led to Father Ezequiel’s martyrdom: “He was murdered because he defended the landless, the squatters, the indigenous people. Because he believed in a just society.“

CLM Brazil

You may read the original full version: https://iper-amazonia.com.br/noticias/comunidade-celebra-40-anos-do-martirio-de-padre-ezequiel-ramin-e-reafirma-compromisso-com-justica-e-fe/

On December 25, the first Christmas celebration took place in the community center of Piquiá da Conquista, in Açailândia. Comboni priests, lay missionaries and the local community, made up of the neighborhood’s new residents, gathered. Piquiá da Conquista is the result of more than a decade of struggle by the people of Piquiá de Baixo, who faced unhealthy conditions and rights violations due to industrial pollution. This mobilization resulted in a historic victory: resettlement in a dignified space, where today the families are building a new life.

Marcelo Moutinho, a psychologist and Brazilian CLM, who took part in the celebration with his wife Adriana, says: “On a visit to Maranhão, I longed to return to Piquiá da Conquista, after the construction work had been completed, to witness and together celebrate this great victory, which will become an inspiration for the various challenges that Christians face in their day-to-day mission and struggles for human rights. The CLM in Brazil, through the different presences over the many years of the struggle of Xoáncar, Ilária, Federico, Liliana, Flávio, Gabriel, Anna and other supporters, together with the community of Comboni Fathers of this parish, have actively participated in various stages of this achievement”.

The Comboni Lay Missionaries, as part of the Comboni family, work in partnership with communities to evangelize and build social justice, being signs of hope and solidarity in the most challenging contexts of the Church, such as the indigenous cause, the challenges of the urban peripheries, Restorative Justice in the prison system (APACs) and the struggle for decent housing.

The celebration was a moment of deep spirituality and fraternity, symbolizing the rebirth of life and faith. May the example of struggle and resilience of this community inspire more people to join the Comboni mission of spreading the love, justice and peace that Christmas invites us to live. After all, the true meaning of Christmas lies in building a more just and humane world together.

Adriana and Marcelo Moutinho, Brazilian CLM couple

Want to know more?

• About the struggle and conquest of Piquiá: https://piquiadebaixo.com.br/ @piquiadebaixo
• About the Comboni Lay Missionaries of Brazil: http://surl.li/uixfyf @lmcbrasil.ofc