Leigos para o Desenvolvimento (“Laity for Development”) is a non-profit association with a legal, canonical and civil personality, officially recognised as a Non-Governmental Development Organization (NGO). It is an association inspired by Ignatian spirituality and it, currently, develops projects in Angola, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe. Young volunteers work there for at least…
After two months of witnessing the suffering of victims of the floods at Tierra Amarilla, in Chile, Sister Rita Cortez tells us about her experience: “Before landing, I am sending you some of my impressions from Chile. It will not be easy, because I feel the strength and the magnitude of the mountain range, the…
“Rabo de Peixe Sabe Sonhar” (Rabo de Peixe can dream) is a project of the Society of Jesus with which we, the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, have been collaborating since its beginning in 2004. This project includes a summer camp which enjoys the support of a group of volunteers from the university…
Located 17 km from Fátima, in the central region of Portugal, the Casa Velha association is a place for encounters and personal development, through its Christian identity. It promotes direct contact with nature, cultural, social and spiritual activities, that foster the healthy development of relations with oneself, with God and with others. Currently, the association promotes…
The second International Assembly of the ACI Family took place in February 2014, in Madrid, with the theme “ACI Family a gift of the Spirit… for the world”. Here are the testimonies from the assembly. From Portugal From Congo From East Timor From Italy News (in Spanish): Contagem decrescente Chegam os participantes Primeiro dia da segunda Assembleia II Assembleia internacional:…
What are the ACI friends? The “ACI Friends” are people who follow Jesus’ request “ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest”. They are committed to praying every day for vocations for the Institute. We suggest the following prayer: “Lord of the universe and…
What is the Association of Adorers? The Association of Adorers is a group of lay people, who want to live in awareness of the need for reconciliation within the spirit of the Institute of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, like Saint Raphaela. The Association has been in existence since the beginning of…
What are ACI communities? ACI communities is a concrete way of living the Christian life that the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus offer to lay groups in order to share the spirituality of Saint Raphaela Mary, their foundress. ACI communities get together regularly to pray, share life with all its difficulties and joys,…
I arrived in East Timor almost three years ago! After spending one year in Bazartete, in the mountains, from January I have been living in Dili. The town is a completely different reality! As in every country, its main appeal is its horizons and new opportunities. But besides this there are its addictions and the…
Hello! From Timor… more precisely, from Bazartete, an area in the mountains 23 km away from Dili – 1h30 travelling time! – I will tell you a bit of what, nowadays, myself and three other sisters who live here, are doing. 1. Catholic Primary School For the first time this year, we are in charge…
