SSpS of SPAIN/PORTUGAL

Sr. Ma. Mendes, SSpS

Riport 2

1. MISSION WITH AFRICANS, FILIPINOS AND TIMORESE

Aware of the priority presented by our Congregation regarding our presence among Migrants, Sister Quintinha is accompanying a group of Africans who animate the Mass every Sunday at 6:30 pm in Odivelas Parish. Most of them are student workers, some are working and others are only studying. The group has weekly Christian formation and a Retreat every four months prepared by Sr. Quintinha.

Once a week she works as a volunteer with Missionaries of the Holy Spirit attending the migrants who need help to get a medical doctor, a lawyer, documents, food, clothes, etc. ...

As a community of Casal de Cambra, we felt the need to extend our Apostolate (Catechesis, formation of Catechists...) and assisting the elderly, the sick who live alone with a minimum of resources, families in conflict, suffering women, the youth and children in situation of risk in the neighbour community of Casal da Mira where most of them are migrants coming from African Countries and others from Brazil. Very often, we are the "Voice of the voiceless" being the "bridge" between the poor and those in public authorities, asking for health treatment, housing, food, documents, social security, jobs, etc...

Sr. Iracema Casarotto is the one directly accompanying and attending this community. She together with the Sisters in the community feels that we are not sufficiently prepared for the challenges of different cultural expressions, traditions and behaviour of this people. They feel the incapacity of acting or responding to these cultural shocks, discrimination of migrants, lack of unity among the leaders, fear and lack of openness to new ways. ... Therefore, they feel the need of learning or deepening and valuing the people's culture in order to facilitate the promotion and their closeness to each other for greater integration in the community.

Before this challenge, the community decided to invite Sr. Quintinha being an African to help in this apostolate and she, together with Sr. Iracema attend this community twice a week.

The youth in the street involved in drugs; alcohol, prostitution violence, many single mothers, a great number of unemployed, people suffering from depression and many recent cases of suicide, is another concern of ours.

Regarding the inter-religious dialogue, we do little about the families who follow other believes.

Sr. Maria Mendes accompanies two other communities: the Timorese and Filipinos. She tries to support and help the Timorese who are studying in Portugal and/or who need help to get documents. Some of them are living in apartments, others with their relatives; the ones living with their relatives seem to have more possibilities to overcome the difficulties of migrating to an unknown country.

Periodically, Sr. Maria Mendes together with Timorese young people, gather to celebrate the feasts of Christmas and Easter. Besides this, with her support, the Timorese community is getting involved in diocesan events as well as national ones; a concrete example of this was the participation in International Congress of new Evangelization in 2005 where the group represented the voice of Timorese Migrants. Through these activities the young people seek to deepen their own culture.

Regarding the group of Filipino Migrants, most of them are women working as domestic helpers and in foreign embassies in Lisbon. The main problem encountered by these people is the difficulty of language. This Filipino community belongs to a movement called "Couples for Christ". Even being married, the women migrate to Portugal looking for "Green Pasture" in order to support their family, while the husbands stay behind in the Philippines to take care of the children.


This is a well committed group in living and witnessing their faith as Christians. Sr. Maria Mendes gives Spiritual Formation to these Migrants every first Sunday of the month through the participation in the Eucharist and preparation of themes that are in the programme according to the statute of the group.


2. MISSION WITH MIGRANTS – JESUIT REFUGEES SERVICE (JRS)

Considering our option for Migrants, Sr. Maria Jose started a work of presence in Jesuit Refugees Service (JRS) in Lisbon in February, 2007.

JRS is an International Non Government Organization founded by Jesuits in 1980 and has the mission to accompany, serve and defend the Refugees and Migrants, giving priority to those in vulnerable situations. This Organization is present in five Continents in more than 40 Countries.

In Portugal, JRS was founded in 1992. During the first six years, JRS made an investment of another work of helping in awakening the Portuguese society about the problem of Migrants. From 1999, JRS opened the Centre for attending the public then step by step, different kind of services were offered to the migrant population.

Today, in this Centre JRS-Portugal are different kinds of service offered to the migrants, like social support particularly to those in situation of great vulnerability; support in looking for a job and house; support in recognizing those who are academically qualified; medical and psychological support and in situations of living legally; etc.

After arriving from Australia, Sr. Maria Jose made herself available to start a work-mission among the Migrants accompanied by JRS. She started the work as a volunteer in February 2007 and in July she was employed full time by the organization.
Sr. Maria Jose gives her psychological/emotional support to the migrants and as assistant of the Director of the Institution.

In our Mission in Portugal we try to reflect and share our experiences of encounter with migrants seeking to be open to the needs of people of our time.

Sr. Maria Mendes