Irmandade de Santo Antônio dos Pobres de Simão Pereira (1867-1875): vivenciando conflitos e solidariedades

Abstract

In the second half of the nineteenth century was founded the Brotherhood of St. Anthony of the Poor, in the ancient village of Simão Pereira, a region charachterized by the production of coffee. The survey revealed that some of the members of the brotherhood was composed of immigrants fron various parts of Europe. The brotherhood was erected in the context of Romanization in which the Catholic Church sought to impose clerical power on religious brotherhoods. The paper sought to show, first, intervention on the brotherhood on the Church, through Bishop D.Viçoso, and on the other hand, religious brothers who fought for the autonomy of the asociation. The work also focuses on the meaning of broterhood to the imigrants who found the formation of a new group basic for the reconstruction on their identities, as well as the pursuit of material and spiritual suport for all is members. The formal life of the brotherhood was short, 1867-1875, or to have found problems in the financial management of the organization, or for failling to respond to conflicts arising fron external control. But this does not mean the end of worship and devotiona to St. Anthony of the Poor.