Fr. John Scognamiglio Clá Dias

Born in São Paulo, Brazil, at an early age he sought to organize a movement among his schoolmates which would give the youth both a moral and virtuous outlook on their lives. He enrolled in the Marian Congregations and also in the Third Order of the Carmelites, being an active Catholic leader at university in the years preceding the revolution of Sorbonne, in May of 1968. He studied law in the prestigious Faculty of Largo de São Francisco, in São Paulo, while at the same time he refined his knowledge of music with the renowned conductor Miguel Arqueróns, Director of the Choir of the Municipal Theatre of São Paulo.
He did his military service with the Brazilian National Guard for which he received one of the highest decorations for his discipline and progres: the"Marshal Hermes Medal – for perseverance and learning".His numerous jumps as paratrooper nurtured his desire forundertaking valiant and daringfeats.Fr. John Clá deepened and perfected his theological studies with the renowned university professors of Salamanca (Spain), such as Father Arturo Alonso Lobo O.P., Father Marcelino Cabreros de Anta C.M.F., Father Victorino Rodriguez y Rodriguez O.P., Father Esteban Gómez O.P., Father Antonio Royo Marin O.P., Father Teófilo Urdánoz O.P., and Father Armando Bandera O.P. Years later, as a gesture of profound gratitude toward his mentors, he authored short biographies of some of them, with editions published in Spain and the United States: "Antonio Royo Marin, master of the spiritual life, brilliant preacher and renowned author", "Fr. Cabreros de Anta CMF, a solid pillar of Canon Law in our century", etc.
Always concerned with the formation of young people, he organized many cultural activities with a clearly Catholic inspiration, as well as establishing centres where they could gather in a friendly and Christian environment. In 1970 he established a centre for community life as a means to better dedicate oneself to the apostolate. The centre was founded in an old Benedictine building in São Paulo. The movement of evangelization flourished and grew to the point of being recognized by the Holy See in 2001, as an International Association of Pontifical Right, the Heralds of the Gospel, which today is active in 57 countries throughout the world.
Wherever he has gone, Fr. John Clá has distinguished himself by his witness of faith, always ardently lived out and transmitted to those around him with joy. Blessed with an admirable and eloquent gift of oratory, he has given talks in many auditoriums in Europe and the Americas, demonstrating an ability to implant in hearts an enthusiasm for the truths of the Faith, the courage to practice virtue and the certainty of the victory of the Holy Catholic Church in the war against the materialism, hedonism and relativism of our days.
Gifted with a refined musical ability, he has founded more than 30 choirs and symphonic bands – as well as an orchestra – in more than two
dozen countries. He is the Director of the International Choir and Orchestra of the Heralds of the Gospel, which has already made tours in several countries in Europe and the Americas, performing in prestigious churches and concert halls.
His ardent desire to evangelize inspired him to author several works that have been widely distributed, with some editions reaching severalhundred thousand copies (and some of these books surpassing one million copies in print).
These works have been published in several languages including Portuguese, Spanish, English, Italian, French, Polish and Albanian. Among these books are: "Fatima, Dawn of the Third Millenium", "The Rosary, the prayer of peace", Sacred Heart of Jesus, Treasure of Goodness and Love", "The Miraculous Medal, its history and the celestial promises", "Via Sacra", "Jacinta and Francisco, the chosen ones of Mary", "The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary" and "Daily Prayers". Three books merit special mention because of the prodigious work and research involved in their writing: "The Mother of Good Counsel of Genazzano”, "Dona Lucilia" and "Commentaries on the Little Office of the Immaculate Conception".
He is a member of the International Society of Thomas Aquinas and of the Marian Academy of Aparecida, among others. He has been honoured in several countries for his cultural and academic accomplishments, receiving, for example, the Medal of Sciences from Mexico. Since 2002 his commentaries on the Gospel have been published in the Heralds of the Gospel magazine, with editions in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Italian.

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