Federico

I found the mission by pure “chance” … that year I decided to turn my life upside down and move to live in Brazil. The same day I arrived in the Carioca country, I saw on Youtube a Brazilian TV reportage that introduced the mission of St. Michael the Archangel in Barbacena and… it was love at first sight. I immediately tried to get in touch with them, despite an unsuccessful first attempt I didn’t lose the hopet and tried again. The second time the answer came as Milena, the mother of Marco Roberto, wrote me. Those simple and kind words written with her heart conquered me immediately. I had other projects underway for my life that would even lead me to move from Brazil to Peru as a missionary, nevertheless that correspondence between us continued as if didn’t want to break that “friendly” bond that was born.

On my return to Brazil I decided it was time to know the mission and I asked a friend of mine to drive me to Barbacena, it was a quite long journey, about 900 km, but my determination was stronger than any distance. I still remember the moment when we drove through the large iron gate, I was excited like a child about to enter one of those magical places that are told in fairy tales. There was a brief meeting between me and Marco Roberto who was leaving for a business trip, I still had the opportunity to visit the whole mission and to stop for lunch with the children. We left the same evening … my heart remained in San Michele Arcangelo, I did not know if I would have the opportunity to return shortly to that special place, it was obvious that I was hoping for it, however I had other plans for my life again.

After a few months Milena wrote to me to inform that she was arriving in Brazil and invited me to participate in the St. Michael the Archangel celebration, I didn’t think it twice and left again. This time I stayed there a couple of days, finally after a long correspondence I associated a face to a person, I also met Simonetta and I was able to talk longer with Marco Roberto. On that second occasion I made a promise to Marco Roberto and to myself: that I would have done as well something, within my possibilities, to contribute to that incredible missionary work, I had no idea how but it was something that I felt deep in my heart and I wanted to do it at every cost.


Today that promise has become reality, after a year of work I managed to publish an autobiographical book: “Carpe Diem if you can dream it you can do it” which tells about my life experience in the Americas. A year-long journey from Texas to Argentine Patagonia, including my stop in San Michele Arcangelo and I decided to donate part of the proceeds to the mission.