Brazil 1975

In December 2000, SCJs in Brazil received the following invitation:
“The Mayor of Tamandaré (Pernambuco, Brazil), Paul Guimarães dos Santos, has the honor of inviting you to concelebrate Mass on December 15, 2000 at 6:00 PM in the Colonia dos Pescadores [Fishermen's quarter] on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the death of Fr. Paulo Punt. After Mass in the plaza there will be the dedication of a monument in his honor.”

Who was this confrere who is still fresh in the minds of the inhabitants of Tamandaré?

Father Paul was born in Holland in 1913 and left his native land in 1936 to strengthen the SCJ presence in Northeast Brazil. After his ordination in 1941, he worked in parish ministry. In 1968 he came to Tamandaré and, in addition to his parochial work, took up the fishing trade. He was sensitive to the difficult situation faced by the fishermen and the poor among whom he lived. Father Paul helped the people organize themselves into a cooperative. He became its president. Being a coastal city, Tamandaré was an entry point for smuggled liquor and household electrical products. When Father Paul became aware of this, he saw the dangers this posed for his parishioners. On various occasions, he denounced the smugglers. Because of this he made many enemies and was frequently harassed by them.

In an effort to get him out of the city, he was accused of being a communist, which during the time of the military dictatorship in the country was a very serious accusation. But the national authorities recognized that these accusations were groundless.

At various times Fr. Peter Neefs, SCJ, provincial superior, fearing for Father Paul's life, tried to persuade him to leave Tamandaré. Though he knew the mortal risk to his life that he was taking, he was convinced that Tamandaré was the place where he should be.

With his many activities Fr. Paul did not see the dangerous web being weaved around him.
December 15, 1975 was a festive day. It was graduation day at the local high school. At the end of the day after the conclusion of the ceremonies the assassin headed toward Fr. Paul and mortally wounded him with three deadly shots. While the local police authorities called it a crime of passion, the people knew that the assassin was used to silence the voice of Fr. Paulo.

It is important to realize that those murderous bullets did not succeed in destroying Fr. Paul in the minds and hearts of the people of Tamandaré.

Two lines from a long poem written by a woman in honor of Fr. Paulo [Punt] the Fisherman on his birthday three years before his death:
Promoting the human person,
teaching them how to work,
showing them the way to confront the struggles that lie ahead.
His Church is the sea, the ship is his altar.
Always ready to help the faithful on his vine.