Main church, Nossa Senhora da Guia (Our Lady of Guidance), Cerro Azul, Paraná

At its December 2017 meeting the Superior general, Fr. Benoit Griere with the agreement of the Plenary General Council approved the opening of the first new foundation in Brazil in 35 years and the first outside of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais, where all other five communities are located. The commune of Cerro Azul in the state of Paraná counts some 17,000 inhabitants, and there exists but one parish, Nossa Senhora da Guia (Our Lady of Guidance). The largest part of the commune's population is concentrated outside of the town proper where only 6,000 live. This reality is due mainly to the fact that the main source of employment is citrus farming, together with some cattle-raising and mining. Catholics make up 58% of the population, Protestants the other 42%.

The parish has been under the leadership of the same pastor for the last 40 years and his advanced age makes it impossible for him to continue. As a matter of fact, for any number of years he has been unable to provide the kind of leadership needed for a community seeking greater involvement and lay formation. The arrival of an Assumptionist community of three religious is seen by parishioners as a godsend.

one of several outpost chapels of the parish

The capital city of the state of Paraná is Curitiba, about 82 km (50 miles) east of Cerro Azul, some 2 hours by car on winding roads. The population features many descendants of Portuguese, Italian, and French ancestry.

Although the Province of Brazil has been considering a new foundation for many years, it was only at the provincial chapter of 2016 that a decision was finally taken. The arrival of Congolese Assumptionists in recent years, one of whom will join the new community, finally made this dream a possibility.

Several reasons led to the choice of Cerro Azul: a very welcoming bishop, the presence of many vocations, and the relative proximity to other Assumptionist communities. Cerro Azul is approximately 460 Km (275 miles) from São Paulo.