We know well the Benedictine maxim Ora et labora – “Pray and work.” The harmonious union of prayer with physical and intellectual labor has borne blessed fruits for centuries. It is no different at Father Israel’s Farm in Brazil.
Fazendinha Padre Israel was founded in 1985 on the initiative of Father Israel, a member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart (Dehonians). Today, it is a place where young people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction find shelter. Many arrive here at a moment of complete collapse in their lives—after broken family relationships, the loss of work, home, and hope. Often, they have nothing but the clothes they are wearing—and a deep conviction that they no longer have a future.
At Fazendinha, no one promises easy solutions. Instead, there is a demanding path toward recovery. It is rooted in the Gospel, the Dehonian charism, and proven methods of working with people suffering from addiction. It is a journey back to oneself, of building relationships within a community, and rediscovering the meaning of life through prayer and work. Physical labor on the farm becomes a form of therapy here: it teaches responsibility, consistency, and respect for the work of one’s own hands.
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The center operates in a rural area, and maintaining it is one of its greatest challenges. In order to be as self-sufficient as possible, Father Israel’s Farm relies on the work of its residents: in the vegetable garden, in cattle breeding, and in the production of milk, cheese, meat, and eggs. The organically grown vegetables are used to feed the community, while part of the harvest and products is donated each week to four charitable institutions in the city of Lavras.
Daily care for the animals and the fields has not only economic significance. It is precisely in this ordinary yet demanding work that many residents, often for the first time in years, experience a sense of agency and purpose. They learn that their effort has value – for themselves and for others.
Over time, many of them return to their families and reenter the workforce. Not only their lives change, but also the lives of their loved ones and the local community. Fazendinha becomes a place where a new beginning is born.
Today, one of the key tools in this daily work is a tractor, essential for cultivating corn, producing feed for the herds, and maintaining a new banana plantation. Thanks to the support of Dehonian benefactors, it was possible to purchase it, which has helped reduce the costs of external services and improve the farm’s operations. As Father Ademir Joel Pedroso, SCJ, emphasized in a letter sent to us, this is real support for the continued development of the mission.
At Father Israel’s Farm, prayer and work are intertwined as one. Here, Ora et labora takes on a very concrete meaning: prayer that lifts one up from a fall, and work that gradually restores dignity. In this rhythm, among fields and animals, many young people regain faith – in God, in others, and in themselves.
We thank the Dehonian Missionary Family for supporting the purchase of a tractor for the Dehonian center in Brazil. A total of 127,500 PLN was allocated for this purpose.
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