The group, made up of Fr Lupifieri and the laity João Paulo Stabile, Patricia Cornet, and their daughter Alice Cornet Neves, arrived in Nova Xavantina on 13 December. In their luggage, they brought materials collected by the parishioners of Bilac, clothes, shoes, blankets, food, and even toys for the children. All the material was distributed to the inhabitants of the villages of Teihidzatsé, Nuovo Teihidzatsé, Couto Magalhães, Santa Rosa, Três Marias, Santa Maria, Deus é Amor, Santa Rita, Santa Clara, and Lima Verde. In these communities, the volunteers were able to follow the realities and challenges experienced by indigenous peoples, such as the lack of water.
In the village of Três Marias, Fr Lupifieri was invited to have a moment of prayer at the request of the community and he performed a blessing on the graves of the local cemetery. The missionary activity of the priest and the Bilac volunteers lasted a week and was memorable for all. “With an open heart, I was able to have a very rich experience of their culture, their customs, and their way of life. With today's modern mindset, it's easy to fill your mind with judgments and prejudices. Only by living together do we perceive a sustainable lifestyle that has kept these people alive for centuries,” said João Paulo.
The seven days spent among the Xavante of the Parabubure reserve were also memorable for Patricia and her daughter Alice. “Being warmly welcomed and living with families who, despite the difficulties, express so much joy, genuinely manifested through the smiles of the children, was a magical and rich experience. However, facing the reality of vulnerability and threats to the conservation of their land and culture has brought us sadness and indignation,” said the volunteers.
The Salesian community of Nova Xavantina welcomed the volunteers from Bilac with great joy. The Parish of the Immaculate Conception has become a faithful partner of the Salesian missionaries in supporting the indigenous peoples. According to deacon José Alves, it was a very productive week, one blessed with coexistence, sharing and encounter. “We are very grateful for the work that the Immaculate Conception Parish does as a sister parish of Saint Domenico Savio’s. It is an example of donation, commitment and testimony in favor of those who need it most. It shows that the parish is in line with what the Church asks of us, through the Gospels, especially in the twenty-fifth chapter of St. Matthew, in which Jesus presents himself with the needs of food, water, clothing, care, visits and closeness,” the Salesian missionary reminds us.