Recently, the Community of God and Our Lady celebrated the 89 years of Father Eduard with a part of the sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of the great CDNS family with much love and affection for this person so special to all of us.
Father Edward George Figueiroa, born in New York on April 20, 1933, received the call to the priesthood while still in his teens and before several religious congregations he felt the charisma of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate. Upon reaching age he asked for admission to the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the United States.
After this step, Father Edward took another big step in his life when he asked to come to Brazil, arriving in São Paulo in 1961 and exercising his ministry in Suzano and Vila Alpina. The journey did not stop there, when asking for a transfer to the Brazilian Northeast Father Edward arrived at the Parish of Ipsep-PE, in 1969. In this Parish he ministered masses alongside his great friend and brother Dom Helder, after one of these masses Dom Helder shared with him his desire to have an oblate in the street ministry, Father Edward immediately identified with the desire and having his request authorized by the Congregation, Father Edward went to live on the streets to carry out his mission.
Due to the desire to serve the poor and the fight for rights and justice, he was persecuted during the period of the military dictatorship. From the mission on the street, the Deus e Nossa Senhora Community (CDNS) emerged, a farm bought in Abreu e Lima, in the Planalto neighborhood. At first he attended to everyone, then only the children remained and Father Edward formed a large family with them. Becoming the father figure of those 50 children who came to live there and serve approximately 45 families directly.
To this day, its mission is to favor and strengthen universal fraternity among the sons and daughters of God and Our Lady. Currently, at the age of 89, he still works with social works through CDNS, at the Anjos da Guarda Institution, in the Conceição neighborhood and at the NGO Deus e Maria in the Janga neighborhood, both in the municipality of Paulista-PE. With a lot of faith, effort and love for others, hundreds of families continue to be served by the institution through the distribution of food, spiritual support and pastoral counseling. Continuing with his search for less inequality between people to make Dom Helder Câmara's dream come true, following the motto, "God is Father, we are all brothers".