Christ the Protector under construction near Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. / Cristo Protetor de Encantado via Facebook.
Porto Alegre, Brazil, Jan 7, 2022 / 15:36 pm (CNA).
A statue of Christ is being built in Brazil that will be larger than the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue of Rio de Janeiro.
The image, which has been under construction since 2019, will be called Cristo Protector and is being erected on the Cerro de las Antenas, a hill near Encantado in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The project was planned to be completed by the end of 2021, but the state government extended the deadline until the end of January 2022.
Christ the Protector will be 140 feet tall, 16 more than the Christ the Redeemer in Río de Janeiro.
Christ the Protector will be 118 feet wide hand to hand. Once completed, visitors will be able to take an interior elevator to the heart on the statue’s chest, from where they will have a panoramic view of Encantado, Lake Garibaldi, and the Taquari Valley.
With these dimensions, the Christ the Protector statue surpasses Christ the Redeemer, built in 1931 of reinforced concrete, 125 feet tall on a 25 foot pedestal. The arms of Christ the Redeemer stretch 92 feet.
Christ the Protector has a budget of approximately $364,000 and has been financed by the local community, especially by the “Amigos de Cristo,” a non-profit association which seeks to promote “faith and devotion” with the monumental project.
According to the Spanish news agency EFE, Christ the Protector was designed by the sculptor Genésio Gomes de Moura and his son, Moisés Markus Moura.
At the end of December, the governor of Río Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, signed an agreement with the mayor of Valle de Taquari for paving the roads that will allow visitors to reach Christ the Protector.
The work will improve the 1.4 mile tract that gives access to the statue of Christ and will also build a path for pedestrians.
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CNA Staff, Mar 2, 2021 / 06:30 pm (CNA).- The tradition of reflecting on the last words of Christ from the cross is a Good Friday practice popular in many places across the globe.Some sources trace the tradition back to Peruvian Jesuit priest Francisco… […]
The Diocese of Pittsburgh’s Gismondi Job Training Program helps those in need. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 6, 2024 / 17:40 pm (CNA).
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is expanding its social services offered to people who are homeless and those in poverty with a newly created “Compassion Corner” opening in August.
The nonprofit charity group is renovating a former office building located in downtown Pittsburgh to provide health care services, mental health services, job training programs, a place for the homeless population to eat, and a variety of other resources. The nearly 45,000-square-foot building is located at 111 Boulevard of the Allies, next to The Red Door (run by the Catholic Divine Mercy Parish), which provides services such as food for people who are homeless.
“I believe this is all divinely led,” Christopher Scoletti, a board member of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and previous president of the board, said during an official launch last week.
“I believe God is working and channeling the love that we all have for our communities, for our neighbors, for one another,” Scoletti added. “I believe God is channeling the pride that we have for the City of Pittsburgh to enforce a powerful change for a better future.”
Susan Rauscher, who serves as the charity’s executive director, told CNA that the new building will allow Catholic Charities to provide more medical and dental care, which it offers to those in poverty for free. She said this expansion will allow for more dental chairs and more medical services, among other things.
“[We’re] really excited about the increase in the number of people who can get health care services,” Rauscher said.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh provides eye exams to its clients. Credit: Photo courtesy of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh
According to Rauscher, the added space will allow the nonprofit to provide mental wellness services, which will include anger management and therapy. The group will also provide job training services, which will include a free 12-week telecommunications course, and connect them with employers with whom the charity has existing relationships. The job programs will include training for five certifications.
“Moving into the new building gives us some additional space to move into new areas that help us bring holistic solutions to our clients,” Rauscher added.
Because of the Compassion Corner’s proximity to The Red Door, Catholic Charities will create a spot for people who are homeless to eat inside. Rauscher noted that those people will also receive access to these services.
“[Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh is] pushing toward not only providing that emergency assistance and those basic needs but also incorporating case management and that long-term stability,” Rauscher said.
More than 100 elected officials, community leaders, and business leaders attended the official launch of the Compassion Corner, according to the diocesan Catholic Charities. This included Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, who praised the work of the nonprofit and said Christians “can’t just read the Bible and teach the Bible” but need to show their faith in Christ through the “works and deeds that we do.”
“That falls on all of us to do,” Gainey said during a speech at the launch. “It doesn’t just fall on government [and] nonprofit [organizations]. It falls on us.”
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh has raised about $12 million in donations for its Campaign for Compassion Corner to provide these services, which is more than 70% of its goal of $17 million. The group is trying to raise $13 million for Catholic Charities and $4 million for its partner, Gift of Mary, an emergency women’s shelter.
Rauscher told CNA that 100% of the staff at the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh has personally contributed to the fundraising effort. She praised the work of the staff, saying: “They can squeeze every penny out of every dollar that’s entrusted to us and turn it into solutions for the people they serve.”
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh serves about 20,000 people annually, according to Rauscher. She said the nonprofit served about 23,000 people last year.
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