Marco Carvalho
The Portuguese version of Children’s Daily Word, one of the most emblematic works produced annually by the Claretian Publications, should hit Macau’s bookstores as early as next year, Father Daniel Ribeiro told O Clarim.
Father Daniel Ribeiro, a Brazilian Dehonian missionary who is in charge of the pastoral care of the Portuguese-speaking community at the Cathedral parish, took on the responsibility of coordinating the Portuguese edition of the book. The Dehonian missionary is working closely with a team of lay people who have been entrusted with the mission of adapting and rewriting the volume in Portuguese. Father Ribeiro said, “Starting from next year, from 2023, the book will also be printed in Portuguese. A team, of which I am the coordinator, was formed. Lay people like Irina Carvalho, Luciana Pontes and António Félix Pontes are part of the team that is conducting this work. Starting from next year, the Portuguese edition of the book will be published and will be sold in the local bookstores, so that children and their families can pray and meditate on the daily Gospel together.”
The editorial coordination of the volume belongs to Father Jijo Kandamkulathy, the current director of the Macau subsidiary of the Claretian Publications. Children’s Daily Word is already published in English and in Cantonese in Macau and in several other languages around the world. “Father Jijo’s congregation, the Claretians, have been publishing this meditation on the Gospel of the day and the Lectio Divina for children for a few years already. It is already published in several languages. Here in Macau, it can be found both in English and in Cantonese,” said Father Ribeiro.
The decision to publish a Portuguese-language version of the book takes into account the spiritual needs not only of the Portuguese-speaking Catholics of Macau, but also the Catholics from other Lusophone countries and regions. Conceived and published in Macau, the volume will also be distributed in places such as Mozambique and East Timor. “For the time being, [the book will be distributed] in Macau, Timor-Leste and Mozambique. Angola and Brazil should also receive a considerable number of books. In March, it was decided to authorize the printing of 500 copies, of which 300 will be destined for Macau,” Father Ribeiro told O Clarim.
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