Brazil
Population: 160.3 million
Life expectancy males/females: 64/70 years
Infant mortality rate: 44.4‰
Illiteracy: 17.6% Religions: Christian 106 million; Protestants 7.9%, Spiritists 1.5%; Oriental churches 03%; Jewish .1%.
Independence: 7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
GDP per capita: US $3,590 (1995)

District of Brazil Central
The confreres of the District of Brazil Central are practically all involved in parochial ministry. These parishes were taken on when the District was involved in the formation of Spiritans, the reason for the foundation of the District in 1948. When in 1968, all the students left, o Later on, the district began to collaborate with formation again with a view to the Brazilian Province, from the financial point of view as well as that of personnel, but without direct responsibility for the houses. On many occasions the Province has expressed its appreciation for this solidarity and how important the witness and friendship of the elders are for the new generations.

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District of Brazil Southeast
The district of Brazil Southeast is the most recently created district in Brazil (1975). Because it did not receive any more first appointments and by the fact that some of its members returned to Portugal or went to other districts or even died, it is reduced to a small number of confreres (9), who nevertheless keep the missionary flame alight, with commitments in Baixada Fluminense, on the outskirts of the city of Rio de Janeiro and in Catanduva in the interior of the State of Sao Paulo. The general atmosphere and spirit of the group are good. Spiritan friendship reigns among all and all help each other.

District of Brazil Southwest
The members of the District work mostly on the periphery of the great cities, especially Sao Paulo, Rio and Recife, to which there is a big migration from the Northeast of Brazil, devastated by drought. Two of the confreres work in projects of the Brazilian Province, one in the Brazilian north-east and another in a house of formation.

The confreres have taken up specific pastoral works such as Youth, Favelas, Counselling, Retreats, Justice and Peace, Indians, etc. All of these works are undertaken in dialogue with the district and have the support of the group. Not wishing to be disconnected from the work with base communities, all make an effort to be connected with a little parish, with at least two or three small communities. This combination is beneficial, not only for the confrere, but also for the small community or the parish in question.

 
Father George Boran





District of Amazonia
The District of Amazonia is in fact an international group. In the Prelature of Tefé there are 5 Dutch, 2 Brazilians, two French, one German, one Portorican, and one Capeverdian. Two of the Dutch live outside the area of the district, one in Belem do Para and the other in Fortaleza, state of Ceara.After a hundred years since the arrival of the Spiritans in Tefé the district reaffirmed in chapter that the group is at the service of the Prelature, and that this is its missionary commitment. The priorities of the Church in Tefé are the priorities of the district. Among these priorities, impressive in Tefé is what has been invested and continues to be invested in the formation of the lay people, side by side with an increasing engagement in vocation animation and in the formation of a local clergy. All pastoral action is marked by the justice and peace dimension, since the construction of the Christian community is to form citizens who know how to fight for their rights and above all, defend nature, which in the Amazon is of particular exuberance, but constantly threatened.

Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
Europa House
Block 9, Harcourt Centre
41-45 Harcourt House
Dublin 2
Tel: 01 475 6000/ 416 1202
Fax: 01 475 1341
E.Mail: brasembdublin@brazil-ie.org

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