I hope you enjoyed the Best of January: We now return to the newest posts available on Catholicism Anew. You will notice a few minor changes. First, after this post, we will use the English translation of the words Canção Nova, which is New Song, after this post. Second, you will see a slight change in categories, where some of the programs on TV Canção Nova will be the listed category using their English translation.

For the uninitiated, the New Song Community (Canção Nova) is a Catholic Community whose charism is to help people prepare for their ultimate encounter with Christ by evangelizing to the world that all may be saved. It began when then Salesian priest Fr. Jonas Abib received a request from his bishop to implement Evangelii Nuntiandi  by Pope Paul VI. In time, Canção Nova, became a major force for evangelization in the Portuguese speaking world through TV, radio, audio, video production, music and book publishing and social work. It received its full pontifical recognition in 2009 confirmed in its entirety in 2014.

Fr. Jonas formed the new community and in order to do so, he had to leave the Salesian order and found his own order. However, Fr. Jonas never left Salesian spirituality and continues to have a close relationship with the Salesians. He was elevated to Monsignor and although still affectionately known as Fr. Jonas, he is officially known as Monsignor Jonas Abib.

Canção Nova is one of the New Communities of the Catholic Church and comes under the Pontifical Council for the Laity. It is run by a community of temporary and permanently vowed religious and ordained who bring the message of the Gospel to the Church. Monsignor Jonas Abib works with two co-founders Luzia Santiago and Wellington Silva Jardim (aka Eto).  The community maintains its own seminary and trains seminarians to be priests of the community. They are ordained by the Ordinary of the local diocese of Lorena, Bishop João Inácio Muller, O.F. M.

It is strongly rooted in the Charismatic Renewal, which for many in the United States and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere is often misunderstood. Canção Nova always maintained a close relationship to the hierarchy of the Church including in the charismatic spirituality and so the Charismatic spirituality of Canção Nova is always in union with the Magisterium. The Charismatic Renewal has a strong relationship with the bishops of the Southern Hemisphere and is considered the norm in many parts of Central and South America, Africa and Asia.

It is also strongly Marian, and rooted in its Portuguese connection, is consecrated to Our Lady of Fatima.

Canção Nova is based at Cachoeira Paulista, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil with mission houses all over Brazil, and communities in other countries including Paraguay, Chile, the Holy Land, France, Portugal, Italy and the United States. Besides its television operations based in South America and Europe, the community also offers live retreats in various venues throughout the world and especially in its two stadia including one with a standing capacity of close to 100,000. The community just blessed the newest Catholic Shrine in the world dedicated to the Father of Mercies.

Catholicismanew.org is the English language blog of Canção Nova that offers the community’s material, translated from Portuguese to English and other material as well.

It is edited by Fr. Robert J Carr who is the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Quincy, MA. Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the Canção Nova Community.