We, the Pallottine Missionary Sisters in the North-East of Brazil, are a community of six sisters: Sisters Maria Avaní, M. Raimunda (called Darzinha), Iêda-Maria (superior), Joliane (Junior Sister), Maria do Espírito Santo (called Santa) and Silvia. We live in two houses, in Codó and Timbiras. In Timbiras there are three of us: Srs. Darzinha, Iêda-Maria and Santa.
Timbiras is a town of ca 28,000 inhabitants. This is where our German Sisters began their missionary work in Brazil 43 years ago. Here is also the cemetery where our Sisters Mathilde Dierkes, Marylande Lopes and Rosângela Sousa rest. From the beginning, our missionary life has been a journey side by side with the people of God of this poor area. 
About our professional apostolate: Sr Darzinha works as a supervisor at a Children’s Education Centre, accompanying 20 teachers as an educational advisor.
Sr Santa is a Portuguese language teacher, from 6th to 9th grade, in two municipal schools, working with children and youth aged 11 to 16.
Sr Iêda is a Community Health Agent, working in health guidance, prevention and monitoring, visiting 100 families every month.
Currently Srs Santa and Darzinha once a month attend a further training in psychopedagogy.
Sr Darzinha is also doing another training in special and inclusive education.
In the parish, we are involved in many different ways. Our parish priest is a German Pallottine, Fr José Wasensteiner, who with his great commitment animates the parish in the urban and rural areas. From the very beginning, we sisters have encouraged, trained and supported active parishioners and lay leaders. Alone in the urban area of Timbiras there are 14 chapels with their neighbourhood communities Adoration, rosary, celebrations of the Word, catechesis, etc. take place in the chapels and community centers of these neighbourhood communities.
Each of us sisters accompanies the pastoral activities in one of them: at Our Lady of Aparecida (Sr Iêda-Maria), St Clare (Sr Darzinha) and St Vincent Pallotti Community (Sr Santa). Sr Iêda-Maria also is involved in the Pastoral Care of the Elderly. She is often called to say the prayers in the event of a death. – Sr Darzinha coordinates the choir team and is a member of the diocesan Vocation Animation team, together with Sr Joliane. – Sr Santa is the parish catechesis coordinator and is also part of the diocesan catechetical team. She works with the UAC Local Coordination Council and currently represents the Pallottine Missionary Sisters on the National UAC Coordination Council.
And here is a glimpse into our daily lives:
Before 6 am a sister prepares breakfast. We start the day at 6am with morning prayer in our house Chapel. Sr Santa who drives the scooter and car sometimes does some shopping at the market already before prayer. After breakfast, each sister has a part of the house to sweep. Given the conditions here, this has to be done on a daily basis. Then we leave for our work. – Dona Maria comes round to cook our food and that of the dogs, who are our protectors. Timbiras used to be a quiet town – today, we, as almost all people have a wall in front of our house, 
yet we had several break-ins during the last year.
We meet again for lunch together. The heat at midday and afternoon is sometimes unbearable. Even so, Sr Santa and Sr Darzinha have to go out to work again, starting at 1pm. Sr Iêda can do some of her work at home, recording the health data collected during the morning visits. She does this using a digital programme of the Public Health Department on her mobile phone. As she works on the street, moving around with her bicycle, she visits the homes in the morning, when it is less hot.
It is not always possible to pray the evening prayer together. Those who are at home pray at 5.30pm – then follows dinner. At 7pm we have Holy Mass in the parish church or in one of the neighbourhood chapels – or there is a celebration of the Word, when the priest celebrates Mass out in the villages. One or other sister goes to “her” community to support them in the adoration or celebrations of the Word, mostly with the distribution of the Holy Communion. There are 28 extraordinary ministers of the Communion in our parish.
On Saturdays, we take care of the house, the garden, do the washing and shopping. We dedicate time to the pastoral work. Sr Santa likes to help decorate the church for Sunday Mass and for the big feasts. 
On Sunday we participate in the morning or evening Mass, which is very lively and specially in the evening a large assembly is gathered. We have several musical groups that take turns in animating the Hl. Mass. – On Sundays, we prepare lunch ourselves, in rotation.
We keep Mondays free – our workplace directors allow us sisters to do this – and we have time for our internal life. It is a day where we Sisters can “recharge our batteries”. We meet regularly with the sisters from Codó for a day of recollection, of study or for our “Sisters´ Assembly”, where we share and plan our community life and mission. We use to conclude with the Holy Mass, together with the Pallottine Fathers, in a small circle. 
Once a month we meet for studies together with the Pallottine Fathers and with them we celebrate our community feasts.
In the Brazilian Catholic Church, we have celebrated this year as a Year of Vocations. Both at our study meetings and in all church circles, we have focussed on this topic: Vocation, grace and mission: “Burning hearts, feet on the path!”
Text and Photos: Pallottine Missionary Sisters in Timbiras, Brazil, November 2023
