Part 2 - Br João Carlos do Prado: A Brazilian heart, a Marist calling, and a journey of leadership and care as a General Councillor
- maristbrothers
- Oct 7
- 7 min read
Excerpts from Interview with Br João Carlos do Prado, Part 2. Read Part 1 here.
So until 2010, your work was mainly focused in Brazil?
Yes, and then at the end of 2010, I received an invitation from the then Superior General, Br Emili Turú, to move to Rome and serve as Director of the Mission Secretariat. I accepted and relocated to Rome in January 2011.
The Mission Secretariat at that time included education, evangelisation, and solidarity - all under one umbrella (today these are separate secretariats).
I served in that role until 2016. It was a period of significant growth and learning. For the first three years I was alone in the role, and then another Brother from Mexico, Br Miguel Espinosa Barrera, joined me.
What came after your time as Director of the Mission Secretariat?
At the end of 2016, I stepped down from that role to do a PhD on leadership formation and sustaining the Marist charism at Fordham University in New York. I completed English studies and prepared my project proposal, and the university accepted me.
But just days later, I was called back by Br Emili Turú - my Province had elected me to serve as Provincial. Initially, I was disappointed because I was excited about the PhD, but I understood that leadership in the congregation was a greater call.
I returned to Brazil in mid-2017, spent a short period there, and then participated in the 22nd General Chapter.
Shortly afterwards, I was elected to the General Council and returned to Rome.
How was the transition for you - moving from many years of work in Brazil to life in Rome, at the heart of the Marist world?
It was a big challenge. In Brazil, I had deep connections - family, friends, fellow Brothers - but in Rome I was starting from zero. I had to build relationships and adapt to a new environment.
Language was another difficulty. In Brazil, I spoke only Portuguese, but in Rome we use Italian and Spanish daily, and English and French are also common. It took time to feel confident communicating in all those languages.
"It was a big challenge. In Brazil, I had deep connections - family, friends, fellow Brothers - but in Rome I was starting from zero. I had to build relationships and adapt to a new environment."
The climate was a shock too - I left Brazil in January, in the middle of summer, and arrived in Rome during cold, rainy winter days. And perhaps the biggest challenge was psychological: convincing myself that Rome was now home.
Gradually, I began to feel at home in Rome - returning to the General House after travelling, greeting the Brothers, and realising this was where I belonged.
You’ve spoken a lot about leadership, and even planned a PhD on the topic. How has your understanding of leadership evolved over the years?
Leadership, for me, has always been more than a role - it’s a journey. At first, I saw it as a responsibility: organising, planning, making decisions. But over the years, I have come to understand it as something deeper.
It’s about trust: trusting God, trusting the people you serve, and trusting the process. It’s about accompaniment: walking with others rather than leading from above. And it’s about growth: allowing experiences - even challenges and doubts - to shape you into a better servant.
"It’s about trust: trusting God, trusting the people you serve, and trusting the process."
My years in mission, education, administration, and international service have taught me that leadership is never static. It keeps evolving as you evolve. And that is something I am still learning every day.
You’ve now taken part in three General Chapters. What does it feel like to return to this experience once more? And how do the questions and challenges facing the Institute today differ from those during your first Chapter?
Yes, this is my third Chapter. In 2009, I was a member of the Preparatory Commission and also a delegate of my Province. Then again in 2017 I was elected as a delegate. And now, in this Chapter, I participate by right as a member of the General Council.
For me, being part of a General Chapter is a little like being a guardian of the family. First, it is a moment of celebration and fraternity, where Brothers and Lay Marists from all over the world come together. It is a chance to deepen our communion, to strengthen our relationships, and to grow as a global family.
"For me, being part of a General Chapter is a little like being a guardian of the family."
The second aspect is responsibility. Even though our contexts differ greatly - whether in Australia, Brazil, or Europe - we are all co-responsible for what happens in every part of the Institute. We need to listen, to understand one another better, and to share both our challenges and our solutions.
In terms of challenges, I think vocation is the most urgent. In recent years, we have done excellent work in mission - updating documents, building networks, reflecting together, and especially involving Lay Marists in deeper ways, such as through the International Forum on the Marist Mission.
The reality today is very different from even a few years ago. We are losing about a lot of Brothers each year, and the majority of those who remain are elderly. Among five Brothers, maybe three are over seventy. The number of younger Brothers is very small.
"Instead, the profile of the Brother must evolve - more prophetic, more present among people, walking alongside young people and Lay Marists in ministry, rather than simply being managers."
So, the question is: in this new reality, what kind of Marist Brother do we need today? The Institute will not have the same numbers we once had, but perhaps it does not need to. Instead, the profile of the Brother must evolve - more prophetic, more present among people, walking alongside young people and Lay Marists in ministry, rather than simply being managers.
Given this, how do you see the Marist mission changing over the next ten to twenty years? Do you think Lay people will increasingly be the face of Marist life and mission?
In fact, already today more than 99% of our daily mission is carried out by Lay people. That is the reality. So, the priority for the future is not just numbers - it is investing in formation.
Lay Marists need a strong sense of identity and charism so that when they lead schools or ministries, they do so not simply as educators but as Marists.
"In fact, already today more than 99% of our daily mission is carried out by Lay people. That is the reality. So, the priority for the future is not just numbers - it is investing in formation."
It’s not just about teaching subjects; it’s about forming “good Christians and good citizens.” And when I say “Christian,” I mean it more broadly as the values of the Gospel - values that affirm life, human dignity, and the right of every person to live fully. Whether one is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or of another background, our mission is to serve humanity with this Gospel spirit.
This year you visited the Pacific - your third time in Australia, and your second time visiting Aotearoa - New Zealand and Fiji. How do you see the Marist mission in this region?
Each country has very different cultures, languages, and contexts, but the Marist spirit is recognisable everywhere. The values, the pedagogy, and the passion for the mission unite us.
"Whether one is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or of another background, our mission is to serve humanity with this Gospel spirit."
Of course, the challenges vary. In places like Fiji, resources are limited, and maintaining schools or supporting human resources can be difficult. But what strikes me is the richness of diversity in this Province. The question is how to build greater solidarity across borders, so that no matter where a child is born - in Fiji, Australia, or New Zealand - they can experience the same opportunities to grow and flourish.
Was there a particular moment during your visit in the Pacific that really affirmed the strength of the mission?
Yes. For me, it was the direct contact with young people in Fiji - visiting schools, meeting students and teachers, seeing the passion and joy in their faces. That made the mission very tangible.
In Aotearoa - New Zealand and Australia, I also saw this passion, though expressed more at the provincial or institutional level. But everywhere, what unites us is this deep desire to be Marist and to live the mission with love.
What is your dream for the global Marist mission in the future?
My dream has two parts. First, that Brothers and Lay people remain deeply committed to the mission, supported by strong processes of formation and connection. Second, that we truly become a global family.
"That we truly become a global family."
Over the past decades, we have moved steadily in this direction, but there is still more to do. I hope we can strengthen our identity as an international Institute - sharing resources, good practices, and formation across Provinces, and supporting one another in solidarity. We have enormous potential, and my dream is that we continue to unlock it together, as one Marist family.
With the Chapter wrapped up, where do you see your journey taking you next, Brother?
At the end of the Chapter, my new mission will be in Brazil, where I will return in November. At first, I will participate in a sabbatical programme, probably in the USA, in the first half of 2026, and from July onwards I will return to the Marist Province of Brazil Centre-South for the mission that my Provincial will entrust to me.
"I am grateful for the affection of so many people who have been part of my life, many of them in the Star of the Sea Province."
At the moment, I do not yet have a defined mission, but I am open to whatever is needed and to whatever I can contribute. I am grateful for the affection of so many people who have been part of my life, many of them in the Star of the Sea Province. I carry everyone in my heart and I am sure that the experience I have had will be a great contribution to my new mission in Brazil.
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