When one spends over 30 years in a country that is not their birthplace, with different cultures, different people, climate, food, etc., it is difficult to describe all experiences, good and bad, in a few words.

Every event is a new experience for anyone open to learn and change their views and mentality. This does not happen in the blink of an eye but entails a lot of trial and error.

I left Malta at the age of 28 as a young enthusiastic missionary and was recently ordained Dominican priest. As I’ve already said, it’s impossible to relate all my experiences but I will mention one that has marked my life.

Children with helpers being trained by a volunteer at the school in Faxinal, Paraná, Brazil.

During my home visits, especially among the poor in Faxinal, Paraná, Brazil, I came across many disabled youth and children ‘hidden’ away from society. I would always return home pondering: “What can the Church do for our brothers and sisters who do not have a public voice?”

After discussing this with a pastoral group taking care of the poor and the disabled, an idea was born: to build a centre where such individuals could gather to receive, first of all, love and respect.

The group met several times to brainstorm. After a long time of reflection, we concluded that the pillars of our dream project must be: love, humility, perseverance and providence. We met a national committee to receive directions about other centres of this type and received all support needed for this goal.

Fr Vince Micallef with the school’s headmistress.

Since I was the parish priest, I proposed to begin gathering these youth and children in our parish centre. We started to call these brethren and they accepted our invitation. They came with their parents or relatives. In the beginning, they were 12.

Other volunteers came to help, including doctors, social workers, dentists, housewives and others, all trusting and believing in our humble work.

A dream that became a miracle for our children and youth

What a grace! All of the children and youth were content with just receiving love and attention. So we created an association with support from the regional association for the disabled. It was called APAE (Amigos e Pais dos excepcionais), which means ‘friends and parents of the disabled’.

The following step was to have our own space and to free the parish centre for catechism and other parish activities.

So we started a campaign to collect and store used paper. I used a van to collect it and store it in the church tower, which used to be our Dominican house. When we had collected a great amount of paper, we sold it at a factory which recycled waste.

Besides, we started collecting used clothes, furniture and other useful objects and created our ‘Providence Bazaar’. Many parishioners contributed to this venture.

The local mayor, however, criticised us and called us mad and that we were building castles in the air.

The students enjoying a meal.

To tell you the truth, Brazil was facing a financial crisis but our faith was bigger than the crisis.

And so we continued with our campaign and the people continued collaborating for this just cause.

In 1985, with our small sum of money, we laid the first stone of the building which was to become a school. Our dream was becoming a reality, and the people and businesses continued to donate. 

In a few months, the first room was ready to be used.

We inaugurated it and the children could start attending. The mayor kept silent and we joyfully continued constructing the building.

Today, the two-storey school named after my mother, Mary Abela Micallef, welcomes 120 disabled brethren.

For me, it’s a dream that became a miracle for our children and youth.

Fr Micallef is prior provincial of the Maltese Dominican Order.