(Canção Nova Founder, Monsignor Jonas Abib celebrates 50 years of priesthood in December. This is one of many tributes by people in the Canção Nova community touched by the priesthood of this powerful man of God.-ed.)
Grace Melro, missionary of the Canção Nova, witnesses that the priesthood of Monsignor Jonas Abib makes her to dare in faith and to grow
Jakeline Megda
From the Newsroom
With only 32 days to 50 years of priesthood of the founder of the Canção Nova, Monsignor Jonas Abib, the missionary Maria Graça Melro, with all gratitude and love, pays homage to the Father in this great feast to come.
Natural Niterói (RJ), Grace’s Canção Nova missionary community since 1993; but it was in 1982 that she met Father Jonas in Rio de Janeiro.
“I met Monsignor Jonas Abib, in 1982, the Church Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. Beside him were the missionaries of the Canção Nova. To hear them speak, I felt a great call of God to be in Canção Nova. And so began my experience with the monsignor. I lived in Rio and was teaching as a math teacher, but I followed him wherever he was. I Quit São Gonçalo (RJ) and Niterói (RJ) and went to Morumbi in São Paulo, or Cruzeiro (SP) participate in various meetings called ‘Rebanhão’. I followed the voice and the his priesthood, “says Graça.
The missionary also talks about how she learned with the priest, with the delivery he made of his life to God and the example that it is the priesthood, that drives one to be closer to the Lord and seek holiness.
“The joy of him being in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, to be of God, excites me today. I rejoice in the life of Monsignor! At various times, I have experienced the grace of his priesthood, his life. How much he drives me to increasingly be of God, pursuing holiness, to grow in the study of the Word and also as a person.
“The life and the priesthood of Monsignor Jonas Abib cause me to dare in faith, I look ahead and walk, ” Graça said. When I arrived at Canção Nova, headquartered in Cachoeira Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil, there was only mud. Today, we can see the departments of TV, Radio and Internet; in addition to everything else we have, like the Center for Evangelization, the Corner and the Shrine of the Father of Mercies. He is a bold man of faith.
Monsignor, congratulations on your priesthood! You know I love you and wish you to continue being this holy man, who radiates holiness for me and so many others. God bless you. ”