A “YES” THAT CONTINUES TO
ECHO THROUGH HISTORY
The Fraternity Poor of Jesus Christ was born from a concrete
call lived out in time and history, in response to a reality
marked by suffering, especially among young people.
Our founder, Fr. Gilson Sobreiro de Araújo, was born in 1970 in Santa Maria do Pará, Brazil, into a traditional Catholic family. From an early age, he experienced the awakening of his priestly vocation, which led him to the Archdiocesan Seminary of Belém and later to the Congregation of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, where he was a religious consecrated and was ordained a priest.
He was ordained to the priesthood on July 10, 1999, in his hometown. He holds a degree in Theology from the Instituto Teológico São Paulo (ITESP) and a degree in Philosophy from Universidade São Francisco. He later specialized in Indigenous Archaeology at the Center for Advanced Amazonian Studies (NAEA) of the Federal University of Pará.
Following his priestly ordination, he embarked on a missionary experience in Europe, specifically in France and Germany, where he ministered among Vietnamese refugees. He later returned to the city of São Paulo to pursue a master’s degree in Anthropology, carrying in his heart a deep desire to one day serve as a missionary in India. It was during this time—especially through his contact with communities in the outskirts of the city's southern region—that his mission took a new direction.
The direct contact with young people suffering and struggling with drugs and violence deeply transformed his entire life. One particular episode became decisive: when approached by a young man who, in tears, begged him for help not to return to drug use, Fr. Gilson made a definitive commitment to change his own life and to respond radically to that reality. This moment marked the beginning of a path that would give rise to our Fraternity.
(Founder)
(Co-foundress)
At his side from the very beginning was Sr. Serva of the Hidden Wounds of the Crucified, from São Paulo and co-foundress of our Fraternity. A woman of deep spirituality. She served for many years as an intercessor at the Sanctuary of the Byzantine Rosary, cultivating a life profoundly rooted in prayer—a defining characteristic that remains at the heart of her spirituality.
Fr. Gilson and Sr. Serva met during an Experience of Christian Mission (ECM) meeting and, together with other young people, began the Fraternity, initially called “Fraternity The Way.” Since then, Sr. Serva has played a fundamental role in the expansion of the Community, being responsible for founding numerous missions in Brazil and abroad, bringing the charism to different cultures and realities.
Alongside them, Márcia Oliveira Maia Prates and the first young people who embraced the mission were also essential in these early steps, helping to establish a concrete response to the needs of that time.
More than founders of a
community, they are witnesses
to a “yes” lived with radicality,
faith, and fidelity.
Today, this same spirit remains alive in the
Fraternity Poor of Jesus Christ, which continues,
throughout the years, to respond to God's call with
generosity, commitment, and love—reaching lives
and bringing hope wherever it is most needed.