Brazilian SCJ is the first of his province to serve in North America

The SCJ community in Toronto has a history of welcoming priests and brothers from around the world for both ministry and study. Fr. Willyans Prado Rapozo, SCJ, of Brazil is the most recent international member of the community. He arrived in May. Last week, Fr. Jim Casper, SCJ, did the following interview with him:

Q: How did you end up in Canada?

At 2009 General Chapter, Fr. John van den Hengel [regional superior of Canada at the time] asked my  superior, Fr. Mariano Weizenmann, SCJ, if he had someone who could come to Canada to work with the Portuguese community. Fr. Mariano called me by phone and asked me if I would like to work in Canada. I was only a deacon at the time but I said yes.

Q: Tell me about your background.

I was born in Taubate, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, July 19, 1982.  There are five children in my family; I am the second. When I was 15 years old, I decided to go to the seminary. I chose the Dehonian congregation because in my parish we have Dehonian priests. My present superior, Fr. Mariano, was the assistant priest and I was his altar server.

At first my mother didn’t agree because she thought that I was too young to leave home; the minor seminary was in Minas Gerais state, almost 600 kilometers from my home. The first time my parents visited the seminary with me, they left me there with many tears. I completed high school in the seminary. After going to the south of Brazil for postulancy, I began the novitiate in 2001 and professed by first vows on February 2, 2002.

Following novitiate I did philosophy for two years, and then I was asked to go the minor seminary for two years to work with the formators there. In 2006 I began four years of theology in my hometown of Taubate. I was ordained a priest on December 5, 2009.

My first assignment was to be in Canada, but because two priests left the province, I was asked to go to Rio de Janeiro to our parish of Ecce Homo.  That was a very good experience for me because I worked with poor people who lived in the slums. I was there in 2010 when police took control of the hills again. It had been controlled by the drug traffickers. On November 7, 2010, I was celebrating mass when the police and the army arrived and we were asked to keep the people inside the church. It was like a civil war. The people could not go home and we stayed in the church complex for three days until the police had control.

After two years my superior sent me here and I arrived on May 8^.

Q: What was your first impression?

For me it was joy because I found a nice community waiting for me, [five members went to meet him] so it was a very good impression. Fr. Peter McKenna was waiting with a picture of our founder, Fr. Dehon. When he saw me he asked, “Who is this man?”  And I answered “Fr. Dehon”. He replied, “That’s  the right password; welcome to Canada!”  I found a happy community with many different experiences and cultures. I relaxed because I saw that we have  people from other countries in our community. It is good also that everyone is helping me to feel at home here.

Q: What are your hopes for your time here?

I hope it will be a good experience of ministry for me and for the Brazilian/Portuguese communities. I saw that there are 13 Portuguese parishes.  Also, I would like to study theological anthropology while I am here.

Q: Have you met anyone from the parishes?

Yes; last weekend I went to two parishes for the Feast of the Divine Spirit. I am now waiting to be introduced as soon as possible to St. Mary’s parish. I just participated in the celebration last weekend without making myself known. I think it is good for us Dehonians to be here because our congregation has asked us to form international communities.

Q: Do you think more members of your province may come?

I think so; it depends on my experience here. I am the first Brazilian SCJ to come for a long-term assignment in North America.  Our province has members in Germany, Italy, Congo, Mozambique and in the Philippines. In South America we are in Ecuador, and next year in Paraguay.  There are 236 members of our province.  Others may come here.