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On 7 July 2026, the Schoenstatt Fathers joyfully celebrated the Silver Jubilee of the Priestly Ordination of Fr. Alexandre Awi Mello, General Superior of the Community, at Mount Sion.
The celebration brought together Schoenstatt Fathers from various international territories, alongside members of the Schoenstatt Family, friends, and well-wishers. The gathering beautifully reflected the international character of the Community, highlighted by the presence of Fathers from Latin America currently doing their second tertianship, as well as Fathers and students from Burundi, the D. R. Congo, and India participating in the Sion Time at the Vaterhaus.
The heart of the day was the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. During the Mass, Fr. Ignacio Camacho delivered a profound homily, reflecting on Fr. Alexandre’s priestly journey through the lens of Christ’s words to the Samaritan woman: “The water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”(John 4:14)
Following the liturgy, the congregation went in procession to the Sion Shrine, entrusting Fr. Alexandre’s ongoing ministry into the hands of the Mother Thrice Admirable.
At the conclusion of the celebration, Fr. Alexandre expressed his heartfelt thanks to God for the countless blessings received throughout his 25 years of priesthood. He also extended his deepest appreciation to his brother priests, the Schoenstatt Family, his friends, and all who have accompanied him on his vocational journey through prayer, friendship, and collaboration.
We continue to pray that the Mother Thrice Admirable may accompany, bless, and protect Fr. Alexandre in his vital mission for many years to come.
Homily of Fr. Ignacio Camacho
Dear Alexandre:
A few weeks ago, whilst chatting with Fr Arkadiusz, who has been in charge of organising this celebration, he gave me the choice of either preparing a barbecue for today’s lunch or preaching in this Mass. I was tempted to go for the first option; I think it would have been easier for me. But, in the end, I decided to prepare a few words.
I know that this sort of celebration makes you feel a bit uncomfortable. So, without going on too long, the most important invitation I wish to extend to you is to give thanks for these 25 years: to look back and discover God’s hand at work throughout this time.
In the introduction to your priestly ordination, you wrote: “As I look back on this journey, my words are ones of deep gratitude for the infinite goodness and faithfulness of God, who called me to follow him in the priesthood, so that I might be more fully dedicated to the service of his people.”
When you expressed these desires, you surely could not have imagined how your life would unfold. If we take a brief look back over this quarter of a century, we can see that this call to follow God has taken shape in various places and, above all, in the specific faces and names of those with whom you have forged bonds of friendship, fatherly care and brotherhood. How many have been able to experience your approachable and unpretentious priesthood! First in your service as moderator of the Schoenstatt Men’s Youth and as director of the Movement in Brazil; then in your service to the Church and the Pope, in the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life; and now, in recent years, in your dedication as superior of our community, knowing that this is also a service to all the communities and groups of the Schoenstatt Family.
We have just heard the Gospel that was read at your ordination. It is a Gospel that speaks of your personal story of encounter with the Lord, of your course in the community (Fons Vitae), and which, over time, has surely taken on new and deeper meanings.
The Gospel of John shows us Jesus in a personal encounter, in this case with a Samaritan woman. Jesus is tired and asks for water, but ultimately, in our encounter with Him, He helps us discover our true thirst and, above all, gives us the source of water to quench it: Himself.
Jesus makes a statement addressed to that woman, but one which transcends the story and also touches your life, your relationship with Christ, and your vocation and mission to reflect Him: “But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst; indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Reflecting on the thirst spoken of in the Gospel — which, as a song you know says, is a thirst to love — we can say that this love, in your vocational journey, took on a very profound meaning in your Covenant of Love with Mary. As you recounted a few days ago over dinner, being without her made you experience a strong sense of rootlessness. From that moment on, the Blessed Mother never let you go, nor did you let her go.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that the water will become a spring leading to eternal life. It is not a thirst that is quenched only to return later. It is not just your thirst; rather, that spring is called to quench the thirst of many. And it is wonderful to see that this love for Mary did not merely translate into a personal relationship with her, but led you to embrace her mission, especially in the service to young people and the Schoenstatt Movement. You are truly passionate about Schoenstatt and want to take it everywhere! One need only see how you jump along with the young people to every song they sing.
Before I finish, I’d like to dwell on another image related to water, which on the one hand has a profound theological meaning and, on the other, speaks of your personality.
In the Book of Exodus, in the middle of the desert, God, through Moses, causes water to gush forth from the rock. This image finds its fulfilment in Christ: He is the rock from which the water flows. Or, as the first reading – which was also part of your ordination – said, He is the temple, the shrine from which flows the water that waters everything, heals it and gives it the fullness of life.
Returning to the image of the rock, I think it describes very well the way you are, the way you face challenges and undertake projects. Without God, drawing water from a rock is impossible; it is something at which many simply give up. I am deeply impressed by your faith and your tenacity in always pressing on, in never letting go of what you are convinced of.
I pray that you may always continue to be this way; it is a great gift for all of us.
And one final thought on the rock: often we ourselves are that ‘hard’ rock from which God also causes water to spring forth, when we allow ourselves to be touched and softened by Him.
Being able to work with you over the last four years has allowed me to witness how God has also been shaping your heart. The hard rock is still there, as it is in each one of us, but God is at work: bestowing patience, understanding, the ability to listen, and the willingness to ‘waste time’ simply by being present and sharing with others; opening us up to new cultures and generations, and to new ways of living out our faith and our Schoenstatt charism. I pray for you that Christ may continue to shape your heart so that you may live more and more in his way.
These have been 25 very fruitful years. If we were to draw up a CV — which I’m not going to do, don’t worry — that fruitfulness would be marked ‘outstanding’. But the fruitfulness of your priesthood has been, is, and will continue to grow to the extent that you allow yourself to be reached by Jesus, continue to ask him to give you a drink of his water, and allow that water to act as a spring that reaches everyone through your passionate, simple and personal dedication, as a Schoenstatt Father, a reflection of our founder and with a deep love for the Family and the Church.
May our Mother and Queen grant that you may always remain in love with her and her mission.
