Beth Amarante, a religious of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Province of Brazil, passed away on March 3, 2024, at the age of 90. She dedicated her life in the Amazon to the Myky people who welcomed and adopted her 45 years ago. The Indigenous Missionary Council, with whom Beth worked, has released this statement:
It is with great sadness that CIMI announces the death of Elizabeth Aracy Rondon Amarante, our dear Beth Myky. Beth passed away this Sunday, 3 March 2024, at the age of 90, and leaves us the immeasurable legacy of a lifetime dedicated to the indigenous cause. Beth Myky's radicalism and coherence helped shape what would become CIMI - and she will forever remain an inescapable reference of what the mission with indigenous peoples should be.
Her beautiful and generous spirit has also been captured by this poem, written by a friend of hers, Gil De Catheu:
Thank you for your life, Beth;
Consistent and passionate;
Gratitude for your affection
and contagious smile,
you never let go;
Gratitude for sharing the essence
of the struggle and resistance
of the Myky people,
friendly people - brothers;
Beth, how many have already left
that you mourned!
Today, you have found them again.
Hand in hand in the divine light,
to the sound of flutes and drums,
amidst the laughter of children,
intoxicated with happiness and love,
she sketches the steps of a dance that has no end.
Eternal nostalgia
- Gil De Catheu