The bishop of Dourados, in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso del Sur, Mons. Henrique appeared from Lima, C.SS.R., is the son of Sister Sebastiana Onofre Lima who became a nun after sending more than 20 years ago. Mother of nine children, she saw her husband die with whom she was married 36 years of marriage: with the support of her son bishop, she fulfilled her childhood dream: to be a nun to serve God and the Church.
“My vocation is a great thing of God,” said Aci Digital – Ewtn News Portuguese, a company to which ACI Press belongs – Sister Sebastiana, who is dedicated to helping women overcome addiction to drugs and alcohol; And who also dedicates his time to perpetual worship, charisma of the congregation of the sisters of the copious redemption, to which he belongs.
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From an early age, Sebastiana felt called to religious life, but the economic difficulties of the family and the reality of living in a rural area of Paraná prevented him from following his vocation. Her destiny gave another turn when her father, given the circumstances, made a marriage for her when she was still young.
“Since I got married,” said Sister Sebastiana, “I always asked God to work in my life and in my children’s. He had mercy on me because when we do a promise, he never forgets her, and honored me with the grace of my son’s vocation and mine.”
“Our family is very happy with our vocations,” he adds.
Born on July 28, 1964, Mons. Henrique is the firstborn. He says that his desire to be a priest arose since childhood when he saw his mother always praying and helping people. “I always saw her praying and asked what that was and she explained it to me,” the bishop told ACI Digital.
“At home, every night the rosary prayed and read the Bible with us. Then, everyone went to sleep and my mother kept praying,” said the prelate. “This captivated me and, in fact, when I was about 14, I made the decision to go to the seminar to acquire experience.”
The family lived in a rural area without access to good education or health care. Even participating in the Church was difficult. Henrique entered the Blessed Redeemer Seminary in Ponta Grossa (PR), where he completed his primary education, but had to go out to work, help his family and save the necessary money to finish his studies.
“I went to work to save money and be able to stay in the seminar and, four and a half years later, I returned to stay and keep here today,” said Mons. Henrique, a redeemer priest since 1999.
He studied philosophy in the associated faculties of Ipiranga in Sao Paulo and Theology at the São Paulo Theology Institute (ITESP-SP). He was appointed bishop of Dourados by Pope Francis and received episcopal ordination on January 30, 2016.
“I feel very honest,” said Sister Sebastiana. “The family is the cradle of God” and it is of it that “men come out, the people who serve to work on the path of God.”
Mons. Henrique said he feels support for his mother’s prayers to exercise his ministry. “I am sure that he prays a lot for the diocese, for me and for the work. So, without a doubt, this is a great support,” he shared.
Sebastian sister visits her son frequently. He spent three months with him when he was fighting with a disease. “People know her and that also makes a difference in our lives,” said the Brazilian prelate
“Often bromeo: people think that the priest, the bishop, is the son of a breeder. He has no mother, nor father, nor brothers. His presence shows that we are human beings like any other.”
The Bishop Son’s Breath
“Since childhood I heard her: I didn’t want to marry, I wanted to be a nun,” said Mons. Henrique. The day came when he succeeded. “Even my father, already very sick before he died, told me: ‘Help your mother go to the convent, which is her dream, because she never wanted to marry.”
“My mother turned my father,” says the bishop. “He had no religion, but he helped him. My father died in peace, praying the rosary and singing,” he adds.
After the death of her husband, “the first thing she said to her family was: they are all big, the things we have are not great, I don’t want anything for me, now I’m going to take care of my life, I’m going to be a nun,” said Mons. Henrique.
Knowing his mother’s desire, the bishop spoke with his provincial, P. Wilton Moraes Lopes, CSSR, founder of the sisters of the copious redemption. As the congregation welcomes widows to prove religious life, she tried it and adapted so well that she soon joined the congregation.
“My mother was a lady, a housewife, wife, mother of many children, determined all her life,” said Mons. Henrique, adding that she had doubts that she adapted to the routine of living in the convent with obedience, schedules, rules. “But she quickly adapted.”
For Sister Sebastiana, Mons. Henrique was his “vocational promoter” and great support in his first steps in religious life.
“I am happy as a nun! I really like work, cult, recovery, because my desire has always been to recover lives, get these people out of the desert from life and guide them towards a decent life,” said the sister.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in Aci digital
Nathália Queiroz
Nathália Queiroz de Carvalho Lima is certified in Spanish by the Cervantes Institute and has worked as a translator for seven years in ACI Digital. He has experience writing religious content for Catholic media in Portuguese and Spanish.