|
FACENDA DA ESPERANCA
A Unique Community for Drug Rehabilitation
How it started
The story of Fazenda Da Esperanca began in 1983 when a German
Franciscan parish priest, Father Hans Staple, called a group
of young men and women in his parish in Guaratinguetá,
Sao Paulo, Brazil, to meet every morning after the mass and
meditate on the message of the gospel of the day. He asked
them to think how they may apply the gospel's teachings in
their daily lives.
Among those in the meditation group was Nelson, a boy of 18,
who usually passed by the "boca de fumo", a gathering
place of drug addicts, on his way to work. He thought of the
gospel that they read that day: "Whatever you do to the
least of mWy brothers, that you do unto me." A thought
struck Nelson, "and these addicts? Aren't they also the
least of Jesus' brothers?"
Starting a friendship with the drug addicts, Nelson met them
every evening, just talking and listening. After several weeks
of building friendship with them, one of them, Antonio, asked
Nelson to help him fight his drug problem. "I want to
stop but I don't know how to do it. Please help me."
he said. Nelson suggested the only way he knew. He asked Antonio
to join their meditation group with Fr. Hans.
At mass the next day, Antonio was there. He joined Nelson
at the meditation after mass. It marked the start of Antonio's
entry into a new life.
Impressed by the change over Antonio, his friends at "boca
de fumo" decided to give it a try themselves, hearing
mass and attending the meditation on the gospel. They felt
re-born.
As their numbers grew, Fr. Hans gave them a house where they
could live together as a community, driven by a common purpose
to live a new life.
Their resolve gave them the strength to live apart from their
parents, to support themselves by doing odd jobs like cutting
grass around the neighborhood. They pooled their money together,
attracting more young men who needed help, until the house
could no longer hold-the group.
|
