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The Comunidade Vida e Paz (the Community of Life and Peace) runs a centre just outside Fátima for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
From its outset, the founding members of EFFA did not want it just to be a pious club but wanted a serious social and practical commitment as well. This was discussed with Bishop Seraphim, and he suggested we could support this charity which is one of his own favourite charities in Fátima. After an exploratory visit, the members on pilgrimage that year (2002) were really impressed by the work that was being done by the Community, and decided to adopt it as the practical expression of EFFA’s apostolate.
Each year we make a practical contribution to the life of the community, and support it with our prayers. So far donations have totalled just under £8,000. Sometimes this has been spent simply to help with the day-to-day running costs of the community, sometimes it has gone towards special projects.
In 2004 our gift went towards the Community’s Apartment of Reinsertion, (a Half-Way House) in the city of Leiria (about 25 kms from Fatima). It gives them the opportunity to experience “real life” once again, but having the Centre totally supportive in the background.
In 2007 the Community applied our donation towards a new sculpture - a massive figure of Our Lady which stands on the porch of the chapel and dominates the main piazza and entrance to the Centre.
In 2008, the money contributed to re-paving the garden area in front of the chapel. This year’s contribution will be put towards updating their computer system.
Every pilgrimage enjoys the privilege of saying mass in the Centre’s chapel, which lies at the heart of the community.
The Centre is concerned with the body, soul and spirit of its residents. At the entrance to the Chapel there is a large ceramic roundel which highlights the three aspects of the community’s life: “compassion”, “adoration” and “evangelisation”:
Compassion is seen within the community as people are weaned off drug dependency
Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is becoming a real part of the day to day life in the community chapel
Evangelism takes the form of teaching the faith, simply because that is part of that wholeness of life meant for everyone.
In such a spirit of prayer with and for each other lies our strength and the depth of our commitment to the call of Our Lady to make sacrifices for the sake of others.
It is in this spirit that the Ecumenical Friends of Fátima Association is both honoured and humbled to be able to support the work of the Comunidade Vida e Paz at Fátima.