Everywhere: New horizon. Ecuadorian Amazon

On 8 January 2025, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of El Cisne in Nueva Loja, Monsignor Moacir Goulart de Figueredo, MSC, was ordained bishop by the Apostolic Nuncio of Ecuador, Andrés Carrascosa Coso, assisted by Monsignor Celmo Lazzari, CSJ, Bishop of Napo, his predecessor, and by Mons. Manoel Ferreira dos Santos Junior, MSC, Bishop of Registro, São Paulo – Brazil.

He was born in Salto do Lontra, Parana – Brazil, on 30th September 1965. He belongs to the congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He completed his studies in philosophy at the University of San Francisco in São Paulo and theology at the Faculty of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, in São Paulo. He obtained a Master’s degree in Missiology from the same Faculty. He made his Perpetual Profession on 2 February 1990. He was ordained a priest on 16 November 1991.

In his ministry, he was a trainer and parish vicar in São Paulo (1990-1996). On 7 September 1996, he arrived in Ecuador as a missionary and was sent as parish vicar in Chunchi (Province of Chimborazo, Diocese of Riobamba, from 1996 to 2001); Elected Provincial Superior in Curitiba and parish vicar between 2001 and 2007; On 11 July 2007 he returned to Ecuador for the second time. He was appointed formator and parish vicar at the parish of El Buen Pastor in the south of Quito (2007-2016). Advisor to those in training at the Ecuadorian Conference of Religious (2007-2016); Archdiocesan Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies from 2010 to 2015; Executive Secretary of the National Missionary Centre of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference (2015-2018); Parish priest of the El Buen Pastor parish in Turubamba, south of Quito, from 2016 to 2022. From 10 February 2022 to 23 October 2024, he was elected for the third time Superior of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of the Province of Curitiba, in Brazil. Pope Francis appointed him on 23 October 2024 as Apostolic Vicar of San Miguel de Sucumbíos.

Coat of arms: Pilgrim of Hope
From his motto, Pilgrim of Hope, we know that the foundation of this mission is Jesus Christ, who is the ‘Pilgrim of the Father’. In Him, we see ‘the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us’ (Jn 1:14). He went through cities and villages, doing good and thus revealing the merciful face of God. There are three highlights of the coat of arms:

1 – Missionary spirit: This is characterised by the Trinitarian foundation, the ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations: baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Mt 28, 20). For this reason, at the base of the Coat of Arms are the hands of the Father supporting the Son, the living Word, who sacrifices himself on the cross, opening his heart to pour out the Sacraments for the Church under the inspiring force of the Holy Spirit.
2 – Spirituality: At the heart of the coat of arms is the heart of Jesus, which opens up as a source of mercy for humanity. The essential teaching that Jesus imparted in the Second Testament is Love. This theme is prominently featured in Pope Francis’ encyclical “Dilexit nos”. For the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), this source embodies ‘The Love of the Heart of Jesus, as a remedy to combat the evils of the time’, particularly the evils of selfishness and indifference. Today, we are called to continue delivering this remedy wherever we go, as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.
3 – Signs and art: The signs and their arrangement contain a message highlighting the ecclesial moment in which we live. Pope Francis reminds us that ‘everything is connected, and so concern for the environment, together with sincere love for our fellow human beings and a constant commitment to facing the problems of society, is essential’ (Laudato Sí, N. 91).
Jesus Christ taught us to join heaven and earth in our prayers (Matthew 6:10; 25:11). Signs and art seek to express this connection with our people’s lives, faith, and hope. The earth’s colour is in the background, and the fingers of God recreating life are transformed into olive branches, a sign of hope. At the top is the sun, symbolising the dreams of the native peoples and Mary, the Star of Evangelisation that shelters them with her protection. Next to the cross are the colours of the flags of Ecuador and Brazil, recalling the mission Ad gentes.

Mission: loving and serving everyone without distinction
We have come from many parts of Ecuador for this celebration. The brothers and their families from Curitiba travelled almost two days to get here. Parishioners from Chunchi and Quito also arrived full of joy at receiving the blessing of Monsignor Moacir. The greetings, good wishes and prayers of all the brothers worldwide are also very welcome. In the letter addressed to Monsignor Moacir and the people of Sucumbios, Father Absalon Tovar, MSC, the superior general of the MSC, emphasised:

Your name also evokes pastoral work in parishes, where you have been a good shepherd in different communities. In addition, you have a valuable track record in congregational leadership. For all these reasons, Moacir, we are convinced that, from your new episcopal service, you will continue to be a pastor with the ‘smell of the sheep’, but also with the ‘smell of the missionary spirit’. Thank you for your willingness to accept this new and challenging mission that the Universal Church so badly needs and, in particular, the Church in Sucumbíos.

To you, brothers and sisters of the Vicariate of Sucumbíos, including the clergy and religious life present, I thank you from my heart for welcoming our confrere as your pastor. Know that he will accompany you with humility: sometimes behind you, to encourage; sometimes in your midst, to walk together; and sometimes in front of you, to guide with courage. You can be sure that our fellow brother Moacir is a man who listens, who participates and, above all, who shares the mission and is open to synodality. Today, an MSC enters the heart of the Vicariate of Sucumbíos, sent by the Holy Spirit, through Pope Francis, to serve them with love and dedication.

It is one more invitation to spread the spirituality of the Sacred Heart of Jesus everywhere. It is a mission shared with the universal church to be in the most remote and difficult places. It is a vocation for all MSC missionaries. In the end, the words of Monsignor Moacir remained as a prayer and motivation for all:
The church sends me to be a spiritual father; I welcome you all as sons and daughters in the heart of Jesus, from where love and new life flow as a remedy to heal the wounds and evils of the world. I entrust myself to this same sacred heart to increase my capacity for pastoral dedication: loving and serving everyone without distinction.

Rikardo Senduk, MSC