Fazenda da Esperança is a therapeutic community that has been operating since 1983 in the process of recovering people who are looking to release their addictions, especially alcohol and drugs. Its method of reception includes three determining aspects: the Work as a pedagogical process; Coexistence in family; and the Spirituality to find the meaning of life.
The farm has its doors open in all Brazilian states to welcome men and women weakened by drug use, transforming pain into joy. The number of communities in the world has already exceeded one hundred structured units in countries in Asia, Africa, America and Europe, under continuous growth due to the globalization of the serious social problems that plague humanity.
People who identify with the charism of the Farm can find their vocation in the Church as part of the Hope Family - a Private Association of the Faithful, of an international character, recognized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, whose mission is bring Hope, Jesus Christ, to the greatest number of young people worldwideaccording to the words of Pope Benedict XVI.
Self remains Ambassador of Hope anywhere in the world, bringing joy and peace to all those around you, through community life, work and living the Gospel. To transmit the certainty that God is love and that it is possible to build a civilization of love and against all negativity and uncertainty.
To be disseminated throughout the world as a transforming influence of society.
Familia: Rescuing fraternal bonds through acceptance.
Job: Return the person's dignity.
Spirituality: Give the deeper meaning of life.
Love: It is expressed through work to others.
Unity: Add the diversity of races, cultures and peoples.
The German friar, Hans Stapel, Franciscan of the Order of Friars Minor, OFM, in June 1979, took office as parish priest of the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Glória, in Guaratinguetá / SP. Upon arriving at the parish, he finds Social Work Nossa Senhora da Glória in full activity since 1970. In his new mission land he transmits the presence of Jesus, in the midst of his community, living the Gospel.
A group is born to meditate on the Word, share experiences with one another and live concrete acts of love, such as visiting the poor and sick. Nelson Giovanelli Rosendo dos Santos and Iraci da Silva Leite are also part of this group that grows more and more led by Frei Hans, in the Nossa Senhora da Glória Parish.
After cycling several times around a corner in the Pedregulho neighborhood, in Guaratinguetá / SP, Nelson Giovanelli, who wanted to live the Gospel concretely, decides to approach a group of twenty young people who were taking drugs in that place. From this courageous step, the young man gains the confidence of little brothers and happens to meet with them often.
One of the users decides to borrow Nelson's bicycle in order to sell it to buy drugs. Nelson promptly surrenders it, seeing, in this attitude, an opportunity to love concretely. In fact, little brothers da Esquina also chose to do an act of love: they returned the bicycle clean and repaired!
One of the little boys on the corner and drug user, known as Tê, is surprised with a cake to celebrate his birthday, brought by Nelson and his sister, who had made it. According to Nelson, at that moment an inexplicable climate was created. There was an atmosphere of indescribable respect and unity (...) I came to understand that this was precisely the moment when Jesus arrived at this corner. Fruit of the mutual love between my sister and me, and, subsequently, of the mutual love between them and us.
After living concrete love, Antônio Eleutério asked for help to get out of the drug world. Hope Farm was born.
Other young people join Antônio Eleutério and wish to recover from drug addiction and live the Gospel, inspired by Nelson Giovanelli. Frei Hans accompanies and guides those involved in this new experience of common life in a rented house, close to the parish. He gives the group a lawnmower as a gift, aiming, through work, a source of income.
Frei Hans asks the population of the city of Guaratinguetá / SP to offer an area in order for the recoveries to deepen their new lifestyle. The land is donated in the Santa Edwiges neighborhood, near the Serra da Mantiqueira: a large swamp with a small house. The first unit of Fazenda da Esperança is born, where today is the Male Center.
Nelson and his companions, during an international seminar in Salvador, outline the first draft of minimum rules for little brothers. From that meeting on, many daily norms are considered mandatory, such as presence in daily meditation.
In July 1987, the first Fazenda outside Guaratinguetá, baptized as Santo Agostinho, was born in the municipality of Maranhão in Coroatá, in the middle of the babaçu forest. Since her birth, she has been guided by Father Paulo Stapel, twin brother of Frei Hans.
José Júlio da Silva, known as Julião, is the first recovering prisoner to remain on the farm in Guaratinguetá / SP after the release permit, certainly because he found, in the therapeutic community, the meaning of life and a new family. He is also the first to be given the responsibility of coordinating a group of shelters within the Farm. Regrettably, on July 12, 1989, Julião went to work with the tractor, but, during the work, the machine could not resist traction and turned, taking his life. His memory is still alive in the house that receives his name at Fazenda São Libório, in Guaratinguetá / SP.
Iraci Leite and Lucilene Rosendo, known as Luci, start in Guaratinguetá / SP, the work of welcoming women. They leave everything to follow the example of young Nelson Giovanelli.
Nelson Giovanelli takes the private vows of poverty, obedience e chastity as a lay person consecrated in the presence of Frei Hans, to live totally at the disposal of God in working with the young people welcomed on the farm.
Gradually, Fr. Hans feels inwardly that God gives him a special vocation. The Church realizes that the hand of God leads the Fazenda da Esperança. Frei Hans receives the liberation to dedicate himself entirely to the work that, at this point in history, already has another unit in Lagarto, in the State of Sergipe.
The first nuns arrived in Guaratinguetá / SP to help with the spiritual accompaniment of the recovered people. The arrival of the Congregation of German origin, Franciscans of Siessen, marks the beginning of an alliance between Charism of Hope and other charisms of the Church; it is from this partnership that the repeated prayer arises in the meditation of the rosary on all farms: to renew his alliance between us.
Many other young people like Nelson Giovanelli, among them, former dependents, are touched by God and donate themselves at Fazenda da Esperança. A new family of consecrated people begins.
In July 1998, the first unit of Fazenda da Esperança outside Brazil, in Berlin, Germany, appears.
The Poor Clare Sisters arrived at Fazenda Centro Masculino on October 12, 1998, to spiritually assist those welcomed and closely monitor the construction of the new monastery, which soon opens on August 11, 2000.
During the Eucharistic celebration at the National Shrine of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, members of the Family of Hope receive from the hands of the Archbishop of Aparecida, Cardinal Dom Aloísio Lorscheider, diocesan approval as Association of Faithful Family of Hope.
Start of groups of Es who meet regularly (Es - first letters of the word Hope - so are called those who recover on the farm). The term Hope alive it emerges as a more concrete inspiration for the support groups for those who have gone through recovery on the Farm, and also for people who have started to live the Gospel experience, the same as the one lived at Fazenda da Esperança.
Dom Bernardino Marchió, a bishop affectionately called farmer bishop, proposes that members of the Family of Hope take the vow of Hope, present in the General Statutes as a virtue that makes us contemplate beyond the wounds of humanity, the victory of the Risen One.
In November 2006, Fazenda da Esperança, in Guaratinguetá / SP, receives an unexpected visit from the president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Bishop Dom Stanislaw Rylko.
On May 12, 2007, the Fazenda da Esperança São Libório - Pedrinhas, in Guaratinguetá / SP, had the grace to receive the visit of Pope Benedict XVI. At the meeting, six thousand people were received, including two thousand young people recovering from farms in various parts of the world.
On May 24, the members of the Family of Hope receive, from Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, the pontifical recognition as Private Association of the Faithful, of an international character.
On April 15, 2014, Fazenda da Esperança São Libório - Pedrinhas, in Guaratinguetá / SP, receives the visit of Maria Voce and Giancarlo Faletti, respectively, president and co-president of the Focolare Movement, for a remarkable moment between the two charisms linked by the spirituality of the unity of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare Movement. The visit was attended by more than 600 young people from the farm and several participants via the internet.
The Fazendas da Esperança in the cities of Manaus / AM, São Joaquim do Monte / PE and Sobral / CE, were appointed by their bishops as a place for granting indulgence on the occasion of the Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy 2015, with the opening of Porta Santa taking place in their chapels.
On the morning of July 24, 2015, Sister Odete, of the Congregation of the Franciscans of Siessen, is murdered, the victim of an assault within the Fazenda da Esperança São Libório, in Guaratinguetá / SP. There were 65 years of life dedicated to God, six of which were lived at Fazenda da Esperança, together with catechesis and the spiritual accompaniment of those welcomed.
On the afternoon of January 30, at a solemn mass, the Church of Santo Antônio de Sant'Anna Galvão e Santa Crescência, located at Fazenda São Libório, in Guaratinguetá / SP, is elevated, through the Decree of Cardinal Archbishop of Aparecida, Dom Raymundo Damasceno Thus, the Sanctuary of Hope. On the same day, the Holy Door of the Sanctuary of Hope opened.
On the morning of June 23, after the Eucharistic celebration presided over by the Custodian of the Holy Land, Friar Francisco Paton, OFM, installed the stained glass window that represents the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel. Mary's Yes, vitralist Lorenz Heilmair, an occasion that marked the 35th anniversary of the foundation of Fazenda da Esperança; the four founders of the Work, in the company of Dom Mário Rino Silvieri, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Propriá / SE, and pilgrims from the International School of Mission were present.
In November 2018, Fazenda da Esperança celebrated the 30th anniversary of women. The celebration was held at the Mãe da Esperança Women's Center, in Guaratinguetá-SP. On the morning of November 10, Frei Hans, founder of the Farm, presided over the Eucharistic celebration for approximately 1500 people. At night the attraction was on account of the Solo Show of Hope. On November 11, Dom Orlando Brandes, Archbishop of Aparecida, celebrated the closing Mass.
On the afternoon of November 11, 2018, Frei Hans, founder of Fazenda da Esperança, received the international Pomba Dourada da Paz award. Father Marcelino Pungulimue, and the entourage of Fundação Sol, from the Archdiocese of Huambo in Angola, presented the honor. This is the second largest peace prize in the world, given to people and organizations that through their actions express the desire and the search for peace and serenity.
Fazenda da Esperança welcomes people between the ages of 18 and 59 who freely wish to recover from drugs, alcohol and many other types of addictions. It is necessary to enter into a 12-month educational process. Whoever intends to face this challenge takes the first step through a letter written in his own hand, showing the reasons for his desire to seek new life. Those interested in a vacancy should send their request for help to the community closest to their residence.
Thus, it allows your relatives to visit you from the third month, when relationships are resumed, in order to overcome together the problems generated by drugs and alcohol. The candidate receives an explanation of the procedures and rules to be followed to recover in one of the Fazenda da Esperança communities. On the day of the interview, documents, medical examinations and sobriety are required. The welcoming is done by the local coordination team and depends mainly on the personal willingness and willingness to become a "new man", demonstrated by the candidate.
The Fazenda's great differential is to welcome pregnant women and mothers with their children, unlike other communities and recovery clinics. The female part considers it important that the mother has her children close by and does not distance herself during the period of 12 months. These women go through a path of accompaniment, where love transforms so many lives and the family gains an even greater meaning.
.jpg "Farm Units around the world")
To locate the Hope Farm nearest to you, in Brazil or abroad and obtain other information access the profiles of each unit by selecting the country, state and city in the table below:
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