On Sunday, June 22, 2025, Father Murilo of the Redemptorist order experienced one of the most profound moments of his priesthood: he celebrated Holy Mass for the 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time inside an ICU in Goiânia, Brazil.
The altar? Improvised.
The cathedral? A hospital bed.
The assembly? A consecrated nun, paralyzed from the neck down.
But the faith—that was immense.
The Mass was offered for Sister Chiara, of the Missionaries of Charity, the congregation founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta. A 32-year-old American missionary, she had been serving in Redenção, Pará.
Here is Father Murilo's post below:
On May 30, while traveling to Uruaçu (GO) with three other sisters, she was involved in a serious car accident. Their vehicle was struck by a speeding car whose driver fled the scene and later turned himself in to the police.
The injuries were severe:
- Sister Hesed suffered a broken collarbone.
- Sister Paloma fractured eight ribs.
- Sister Chiara was left quadriplegic—unable to move from the neck down.
- Sister Agnes and the driver sustained minor injuries.
Since the accident, Sister Chiara has undergone two delicate surgeries and is now beginning a long journey of rehabilitation. It remains uncertain whether her condition can be reversed.
Yet, what struck Father Murilo most was not the gravity of the situation, but something deeper:
“Your cross is now the hospital bed. Your ordeal will be long days of physiotherapy, of readjustment... But your smile reveals God. Your face radiates serenity, faith, and hope.”
In his nearly 11 months as a priest, Father Murilo says this was the most meaningful Mass he has ever celebrated:
“It was the most beautiful cathedral, and the most fervent assembly—before a consecrated young woman who, at the height of her mission, said: ‘Let it be done.’”
Sister Chiara remains hospitalized, though she is no longer in the ICU. Her silent testimony echoes Christ Himself: suffering transformed into offering, pain embraced by love.