1947, the arrival in Ribeirão Preto

In 1947, the Doctrinarians were invited to Brazil by the Bishop of Ribeirão Preto, Msgr. Manuel de Silveira d’Elboux. The first fathers to leave for the mission were Giovanni Delpero, almost sixty years old, already Vicar General of the Congregation, and Francesco Balzola, just over twenty years old, on June 20 from the port of Genoa. Father Balzola wrote in his diary: «That beautiful day will remain one of the most beautiful dates of my life. (…) a moving prayer welled up in my heart: “Thank you, Lord, for all the benefits received, thank you for having chosen and elected me, thank you for the benefit granted to me on this wonderful day… (…) Happy to give the first fruits of my priesthood to so many souls, happy for the awareness of finding so many brothers to love and help…”».
They landed in Santos on July 3, 1947 and headed to Ribeirão Preto where they settled in, meeting a friendly and welcoming people. A month later the Bishop entrusted the pastoral care of the parish of São Joaquim da Barra to the two fathers: Father Delpero, parish priest, and Father Balzola, his assistant. The solemn installation ceremony took place on September 2, the feast of the Blessed Doctrinal Martyrs.
In 1948 two more fathers left Italy for Brazil, Silvio Gasparotto and Ernesto Ferrero. With four fathers, the field of pastoral action was expanded, and the Congregation was entrusted with two more parishes: Ipuã and Miguelopolis, and almost immediately the parish of Guaira, about seventy kilometers away, was annexed to the latter.
At the beginning of 1949, the parish priest of Catanduva, Msgr. Albino da Silva Cunha, arrives in Rome to visit the Father General of the Doctrinaries. After this meeting, the fathers open a new mission field in Catanduva, in the Diocese of São José do Rio Preto, where four more fathers disembark from Italy: Orlando Visconti, Giuseppe Valsania, Cesare Cauda and Francesco Raspino.

The school in Catanduva

Father Cauda, struck by the number of children and young people he meets, develops the idea of establishing a school. He begins with a modest boarding house named after the Bishop of the Diocese, “Pensionato Dom Lafayette”. Soon the boarding house, dedicated to “Jesus the Adolescent”, is transformed into a Gymnasium, and houses over a thousand students in a large building. The other fathers make themselves available to the parish institutions already functioning and under construction.
In 1951, Father General Carlo Rista made his first official visit to Brazil and the following year the General Chapter of the Congregation welcomed, for the first time, a Representative from Brazil. The Fathers gathered in Assembly chose Father Balzola, charging him with proposing to the General Chapter the election of a Superior from Brazil with the powers of a Provincial. The proposal was accepted and, in 1953, the Definitory appointed Father Silvio Gasparotto as “Delegate for the houses of Brazil”, with powers equal to those of the Provincial, except for admitting to the Novitiate, to temporary or perpetual Profession and to Holy Orders, which remain the responsibility of the Superior General.
Meanwhile, the spiritual work is joined by the material work for the construction of the seminaries in Catanduva and Guaira, the novitiate in São Joaquim da Barra, the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the church of San Francisco de Assisi in Catanduva, the church of San Francisco de Sales and the philosophical and theological seminary in São Paulo. The Fathers begin to welcome the first Brazilian vocations. In 1954, Fathers Attilio Garrone and Elio Lupano arrived in Brazil and, after the death of Father Delpero in 1955, other brothers arrived at regular intervals: Father Mario Lano, Father Giuseppe Botta, Father Luigi Mosconi, Father Luciano Cappellari, Father Gino Bertan, Father Aldo Basiletti, Father Agostino Ferrero, Father Giovanni Albera and Father Carmelo Zagarella.

1965, the first ordinations of Brazilian Doctrinaries

In 1965, the first Brazilian Doctrinaries were ordained: Father Valdecyr do Espirito Santo, Father José Alves da Costa and Father José Seminati. Brother Isaias Queroz do Nascimento made his perpetual profession and became Father Cauda’s right-hand man in the secretariat of the “Gesù adolescenti” School. With the Italian Doctrinaries and the new Brazilian vocations, the work of expansion and pastoral service can continue in other states of Brazil. In 1975 in Ponta Grossa (State of Paranà), where, in addition to parish work and in the Seminary, thanks to the precious presence of Father Renato Canta, Father Tullio Mondo is appointed diocesan head of catechesis. In 1984, another house was opened in the State of Paraná, to take over the pastoral service of the parish of São Domingos, in the Diocese of Chápeco. In 1986 Father José Alves Da Costa was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Ponta Grossa, in 1991 he was transferred to the Diocese of Corumbà (Mato Grosso) and, in 1999, due to health problems, after the Pope accepted his request to renounce the leadership of the Diocese, he returned to the doctrinal communities, carrying out with humility and competence, the role of Master of Novices, Provincial Councillor and General Definitor. After years of development and the opening of new houses, in 1992, the Brazilian Delegation became an autonomous province, with its own Provincial Superior. Over the years, the Doctrinaries have made themselves available for service in other Dioceses, such as Santos, Caraguatatuba, and in the service of catechetical animation at the diocesan, regional and national levels. Father Vilson Dias de Oliveira is in charge of the biblical-catechetical service of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, Father Valdecyr do Espirito Santo and Father Luis Gonzaga Bolinelli are responsible for the same office at the regional and diocesan levels. These are some examples of the catechetical work that the Fathers continue to carry out, together with the management of the prestigious “Gesù adolescenti” School of Catanduva and the parishes of Catanduva, Guaira, São Paulo.

Father Vilson Dias de Oliveira, doctrinaire and bishop

In 2007, the sixtieth anniversary of the presence of the Doctrinaries in Brazil, Father Vilson was appointed Bishop of Limeira.
The crisis of vocations, starting from the end of the 90s, leads the Province to experience moments of downsizing of activities and to maintain its presence only in the State of São Paulo.