Luzeiros de Santa Maria | Aliança de Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA LIGHTS

The Luzeiros de Santa Maria is a lay movement founded in 1979 as a response to the desire of some lay people to develop a lifestyle marked by a spirituality similar to that of the Congregation. The members of the movement are therefore called to respond to the vocation to holiness inherent in their condition as baptized persons, actively assuming the evangelizing mission of the Church and living it in the light of the Message of Fatima. This translates into a daily effort to bear witness to a living faith that is nourished in sacramental life, in personal, family and community prayer and in the practice of fraternal love for their brothers and sisters, especially those who suffer the most.

The movement is organized in small groups of people from the same parish or locality, formed with the authorization of the bishop of the diocese and their respective parish priests. One of the most important moments of this group is the Luzeiro meeting, which can be held weekly, fortnightly or even monthly (depending on the characteristics of the group) and follows its own structure based mainly on meditating on the Word of God and praying the rosary. Each group of Lightbearers has a responsible person from among the members of the group, the Envoy, who moderates the meetings and remains in more frequent contact with the sisters of the Congregation.

Each year, the Congregation organizes two meetings, a pilgrimage and a retreat, especially for the Luzeiros.

There are currently Luzeiros groups in several dioceses in Portugal and also in the United States, since 2014.