I never had the intention of "founding" or being the "founder" of anything. In fact, to some extent, I didn`t even like the idea of being a "founder". I have been only docile to God`s lead and today I see that this lead has always been "vigorous". God pulled and pushed me many many times. I can see I was always deeply "respected" in my freedom: though I can also see that God walked with firm steps ahead of me. He opened paths I had never suspected of and I was surprised seeing myself taking them. These days, when I say that Canção Nova is a "Foundation", I can assure that "it was God Who founded it": He had His Plans for it; He planted it, He made it grow, He guided it, shore it, spread its branches, made it bear fruit, made it a sign, a point of attraction… It was He, always He, Who made everything. Though I have to admit that I was put at the "origin" of everything, the basis, the foundations… In this sense, exclusively, I can agree I am a "founder". God put me at the origin, the db, the heart, and the foundation. He made me a Founder.

Looking at my history, which is also the history of Canção Nova, I see myself as a boy striving to keep pace with his Father's stride. A boy who understands hardly anything of what he is doing or where he is going, but keeps going. He keeps going because he trusts. Looking at this history I can see I walked astray, I slipped, fell, walked back on my steps, ran ahead, was late… Though there was always the strong Hand of the Father and little by little the path was made. All along I felt I was not born to be alone. I had a feeling I-was-with-the-others.

People came along and people went away; many wanted to live and work with me… they passed through my life. I thank God for bringing them to me. I thank them because all of them played an important role; many marked my life, my path. Though…they were not yet the people whom, according to God's plans, I should permanently live with and co-work with increasing value. Many facts prepared the "birth of Canção Nova Community". Though the day I define as "birth date" was when Dom Antônio, at that time Bishop of Lorena (SP, Brazil), called me into his office. He had the book "Evangelii Nuntiandi": Evangelization in the Modern World. Dom Antônio started talking about this document that had been published by Pope Paul VI on December 8, 1975.

A Synod was held in 1974. The Pope afterwards prepared a document and sent it to all Bishops. Dom Antônio had just finished reading it. He was deeply impressed. He said: "Father Jonas, what the Pope says here is absolutely true. We have to evangelize, this is the time to evangelize." I could see Dom Antônio was really touched and inspired. He took an article he had already set apart and read it for me: "It is easy to verify that the conditions of life in the modern world make catechistic education more and more urgent, in the form of a catechumenate spread among a great number of young people and adults so that they, touched by God's Grace, can discover little by little the Face of Christ and experience the necessity of giving themselves to Him" (EN 44). Dom Antônio finished reading the document and then said: "You work with young people so it is easier for you to make it happen. Begin something. There is a lot to be done. Though we have to begin somewhere. So go and begin by them."

Everytime I turn to that article I am amazed to see that this has happened exactly the way he said. I answered Dom Antônio that his words were a great inspiration for me and added: "I do not know what to do. I will pray and bring you an answer."

I stopped and prayed. Came back to him with a plan. He had mentioned the word "Catechumenate" to me, so I gave this name to the course we prepared. It was really a catechism course. Not a catechism for First Communion, but a catechism course for young people.

The document written by Pope Paul VI was published on December 8, 1975. I do not remember very well if Dom Antônio and I had this conversation at the end of 75 or the beginning of 76. Thanks God, during the next Holy Week we were already beginning what we called "Catechumenate". It was so beautiful. We spent all Holy Thursday, Good Friday and also Holy Saturday in lectures. The auditory of the Salesian Institute was crowded. We held the Easter Vigil at night.

We left São Joaquim School and went in procession to Santa Teresa School were the Vigil was held all through the night. This was the way we began the "Catechumenate". During the years 1976 and 1977 we held the catechumenate. Parents who saw the transformation of their children also wanted to participate, so adults also began to join it. The words of that document literally turned into reality: "…touched by God's Grace, (they) can discover little by little the Face of Christ and experience the necessity of giving themselves to Him" (EN 44).