Spiritans honoured in Cruzeiro do Sul

In a tribute to peace and spirituality in Cruzeiro do Sul, Governor Tião Viana, Grand Master of the Order of the Star of Acre, awarded the Grand Cross insignia to Bishop Mosé João Pontelo and to the Congregation of the Holy Spiritl, on Friday, 3 of November 2017.

The governor recognized the social work that the Spiritans, represented by Father Inácio Sangueve Pacheco, have done for over 100 years ago by spreading the gospel in the region of Juruá. Additionally the governor recognized the presence of Bishop Dom Mosé Jose Pontelo, who has been 19 years in Cruzeiro do Sul and in 2017 completes 50 years of missionary work.

The governor recalled “the history of education, of the boats built here in Juruá, of buildings, of human solidarity, where donations came from Germany and crossed the world to reach here to the needy and abandoned communities.” He remembered that “The organization of agricultural communities comes from the Spiritans, especially the German brothers.”.  He recognized that the Spiritans did a great job of maintaining peace in preventing the installation of the exploration companies in the region.

The Grand Master of the Order also recalled the spiritual mission that Bishop Dom Mosé has been teaching for society. “It is the lesson of a church of simplicity, of welcoming, that sought to fulfill its institutional role, of being Christian missionaries without arrogance and valuing all.”   Recalling also the great importance that religiosity in Juruá has put in the preservation of nature, the governor left a warning message for what he claims to be the great world crisis, that of climate change.

Dom Mosé spoke about his mission, as always having made himself available to the citizen realities, “I always try to put myself in a constructive way, at the service of the mission,  following Jesus Christ and the call to be a constructive citizen.” The bishop also left some words that demonstrate his faith in building a just future, “We have to have confidence and hope that things can and will improve, along with the collaboration of each one of us. We all form a family, we want society to be more and more harmonious”. He also added that “our Acre society should build a project in which people live with dignity, share their assets and abilities and always walk in unity.”

The superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit in the region, Father Inácio Sangueve represented all the missionaries when receiving the insignia. “My wish is that those who have walked this path were here, but our lives are limited,” he said. “We warmly thank the Governor and his team for the initiative to grant us the Order of the Star of Acre in recognition of the missionary work of our Congregation during these 100 years of presence in the Juruá Valley,” he added.

The federal deputy César Messias, a native of Cruzeiro do Sul, in his speech recalled that the history of Cruzeiro do Sul is mixed with that of the Catholic Church and the Spiritans. He reminded all present that it was the Spiritans who brought to the town the first carpentry and also the first pottery. He concluded that the Church in the areas has an extraordinary social and educational history

“The Order of the Star of Acre is the highest honor the Acre State has to honor men and women, institutions that embrace this land and contribute to its construction,” said the Order’s chancellor.

Arison Jardim (Notícias do Acre)