On April 18th and 19th, the Great Community 2026 Retreat took place. This retreat deepened the Service of Authority and initiated the Definitive Promises in the Rio de Janeiro mission. During the Closing Mass, presided over by Fr. Rômulo dos Anjos (local leader), the consecrated Ana Augusta gave her definitive “yes” as a member of the Covenant Community, at the Zaccaria College .
On Tuesday, April 21st, eleven brothers and sisters – Diego, Eduardo, Gilcimar, Girlaine Cristina, Jefferson, Luciana, Maria Daniele, Rafael, Rafaela, Renata, and Rosângela Maria – also made their Definitive Promises in the Charism. The Holy Mass, presided over by Dom Roberto Lopes – Episcopal Vicar for Consecrated Life – took place at 3 pm at the Cristo Redentor Parish in Laranjeiras.
The Gospel of this Tuesday (John 6:30-35) reminds us that Jesus is the bread of life, the true spiritual food. He himself tells us: “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35). In the joy of the 3rd Week of Easter, during the homily, Dom Roberto quoted Moysés Azevedo, recalling that the founder of the Community reinforces the importance of obedience and the desire to always do God’s will. The celebrant highlighted fidelity, a sense of belonging, and the pursuit of serving the Spouse in the offered lives of the brothers and sisters who have made their Definitive Promises.
These Promises in the Shalom Charism are a path of total offering and definitive consummation of what the consecrated live daily in the light of the Holy Spirit. It is to recall the fire of God’s love that ignited the heart in the vocational accompaniment process, which matured in the Postulancy and deepened in Discipleship.
“The Definitive Promises, in the vocation to the Shalom Community, consist of a deepening of this consecration, through a total offering of oneself, a closer following of Jesus Christ and a more radical living of the Gospel in the Community, promising to live this Charism according to the way of life of each member and in accordance with these Statutes.” (STATUTES, 2012, p. 33)
Path followed
Before making their Definitive Promises, these brothers and sisters of the Life and Covenant Community underwent a three-stage process: Postulancy, Discipleship, and Promises. The first consists of a period of formation and discernment of vocation and the human and spiritual maturity necessary to respond to it. In the second, the candidate is accepted into the formation process within the Community, marked by a deepening of spiritual and vocational life.
After these two initial stages, the Disciple can request the third stage, which consists of the first Temporary Promise in the Community. Having their request approved, they make this Promise and become a member of the Shalom Catholic Community. After that, this stage is renewed annually for four years. After this period, the consecrated person – who considers themselves ready – can formally request the Definitive Promise from the General Moderator. If this request is approved, they offer to God, the Church, and the Community their definitive “yes” to the Charism.
For all eternity
With the Definitive Promises, the transitional time ends and a new time begins, which belongs to Heaven: eternity. With the definitive union of brothers and sisters with the Risen One, a path of happiness and total surrender to God’s will gains strength towards Heaven. The founder of the Shalom Catholic Community, Moysés Azevedo, says that this definitive union breaks a painful process of seeking prestige, power, position, career, and possession of things.
“Definitive promises and our definitive union with our vocation and our truth break through a painful path of thinking we can find truth and prestige in our careers, possessions, and the voices that promise us immediate happiness. And these are the things that rob us of ourselves. In truth, definitive promises are a union with God’s truth about ourselves.” (Moysés Azevedo, founder of the Shalom Catholic Community)
Thus, these consecrated men and women of the Life and Covenant Community invoked the Holy Spirit of God, received in Baptism, to consecrate themselves to this purpose, praying that they may be granted the grace to be faithful to these promises until the end.
Shalom forever!
Newly Consecrated Members in the Community with Definitive Promises (Rio de Janeiro Mission)
In the Life Community: Gilcimar Lino de Menezes; and Rafaela Carnauba Medeiros. In the Covenant Community: Ana Augusta Cunha Loureiro dos Reis; Diego Silva Menezes Correa; Eduardo Fernandes Castanheira; Girlaine Cristina Fernandes Soares Veloso; Jefferson Santos da Silva; Luciana Sales Araújo Varges; Maria Daniele da Silva Carvalho; Rafael Gusmão Pinto; Renata Elizama dos Santos Souza; and Rosângela Maria Rodrigues Nonato da Silva.
Por Clara Quintaneira
