International Association of Christ’s Faithful of Pontifical Right
Who are the Heralds of the Gospel?
The Heralds of the Gospel is an International Association of Christ’s Faithful of Pontifical Right, the first to be erected by the Holy See in the third millennium, on the occasion of the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter on February 22, 2001. Watch the video to find out more about our origins and Charism.
Our Founder
Msgr. João Scognamiglio Clá Dias
Monsignor João Scognamiglio Clá Dias, EP, (August 15, 1939 – November 1, 2024) was born in São Paulo, Brazil. He obtained degrees in philosophy, theology, psychology, and humanities from various universities. He earned his doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome and in Theology from the Pontifical Bolivarian University in Medellín, Colombia. In 1970, he began a religious community life, which sowed the seeds for three institutions of Pontifical Right. Monsignor João is the founder and was Superior General of the Heralds of the Gospel and of the Virgo Flos Carmeli Clerical Society of Apostolic Life until 2017, as well as founder of Regina Virginum, a Society of Apostolic Life for the female members of the Heralds, entities that extend their activities to more than 70 countries. In 2005, he was ordained a priest to serve more fully in the New Evangelization. To provide a solid formation to the Heralds, he founded the St. Thomas Aquinas Theological Institute and the Aristotelian-Thomistic Philosophical Institute. He wrote seventeen works, published in seven languages, some of which have exceeded two million copies. Monsignor João was an Honorary Canon of the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and Apostolic Protonotary. He has been honored in several countries for his evangelizing, cultural, and scientific activities and received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from Benedict XVI on August 15, 2009.
Our Founder's spiritual mentor
Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira was born in São Paulo, Brazil (December 13, 1908 – October 3, 1995). As a young man, he stood out as the indisputable leader of the Catholic laity, which opened before him the brilliant political career that made him known throughout the country. He later founded a movement to battle in favor of the ideals of the Catholic Church, congregating numerous disciples to whom he strove to transmit a solid doctrinal formation, along with the spirit that inspired him. On July 7, 1956, the first encounter took place between Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira and a sixteen-year-old youth named João Clá (the future Founder of the Heralds). The marvels that have unfolded as a result of this meeting can be summed up in these words: the wealth of grace that dwelt in the heart of the master, and the love and zeal for the glory of God and the Church that consumed him, completely permeated the mentality, person and life of that young man. Today, the Heralds of the Gospel are blessed with almost two hundred priests, who tirelessly administer the Sacraments and labor for the sanctification of souls, aided by thousands of religious and laypeople of both sexes who have consecrated their lives in favor of the Church, following the ideal inspired by Dr. Plinio. Countless young boys and girls, under the aegis of the Heralds, feel attracted to serving the Catholic Cause. Thousands of families spread the Catholic ideal in the midst of today’s society. In every corner of the world the Heralds actively strive to give God the glory that Dr. Plinio always desired.
Prof. Plinio's virtuous mother
Dona Lucilia
Even without knowing her biography or any relevant episode of her long life, when people see her photo, resplendent with goodness, they feel inclined to appeal to her mediation, encouraged by a singular inner certainty of being helped. Lucilia Ribeiro dos Santos – commonly known as Dona Lucilia, which translates to Mrs. Lucilia in Portuguese – was born in Pirassununga, São Paulo (April 22, 1876 - April 21 1968). She was a modest housewife who apparently led a totally unremarkable life. And yet this discrete life veiled truly extraordinary virtues, which led the eminent theologian Fr. Royo Marin, who studied her biography, to affirm: “Was Dona Lucilia a true saint, in the full sense of the word? Or, to put it differently, did her Christian virtues reach the heroic degree indispensably required for a person to be recognized by the Church with beatification and canonization? In view of the rigorously historical data that this biography offers us in such abundance, I dare to answer, without the least hesitation, with a resounding yes”.Amongst the manifold virtues that shine in Dona Lucilia’s life, she is remembered above all as a holy mother. Motherhood brought out one of the most sublime aspects of her soul, allowing her to take her dedication, friendship, and understanding to unimagined limits. She would be known in the family as a staunch Catholic and an excellent educator of Christian principles, with which she knew how to form her children and help her nephews and relatives. The natural qualities of her noble soul, of an exemplary and affectionate nature, together with the supernatural virtues she practiced, make her story immortal, especially for those who have already tasted the sweetness of her protection. Indeed, the fact that Dona Lucilia continues her outstanding maternal mission from eternity is a constant affirmation for those who consider themselves her spiritual children. And each one of them is her most precious legacy to the world.
