Work and territory: the catholic missionary action in the Amazon State (Brazil)

Abstract

The missionary work, generally, is reduced to the understanding of the indigenous catechises. It will be verified in this study that the missions, which came to Brazil in the beginning of the 20th century, established courses of action that had the municipal seat as base, primarily through the installation of Apostolic Offices, which were the territorial base for dioceses and prelatures advent. The missionary action was developed in the city and had as main purpose, beside the indigenous catechises, the evangelisation and the work education, through the seminary of arts and work teaching for the male universe and the female education, which was dispensed by the nuns and, generally dealt with literacy and domestic accomplishments teaching. Hence, the missionary work played an important role in the territorial sovereignty assertion of the state, in the nationalisation of the population, and in the urbanisation process of the Brazilian Amazon borders.