VISIT TO BRAZIL – I We arrived at the airport in São Paolo Wednesday at 5:30 AM. Our connecting flight to Curitiba, in the state of Paraná, left at 11:00. (Talk about a layover!) We arrived in Curitiba in the pouring rain, but luckily our hosts were there to greet us. It took a little longer to get to the house, and, when we did, we found all the members awaiting us in the dining room! They wouldn’t start lunch without us! And, of course, they wouldn’t allow us to start without a caiparinha! The rest of the day was for dealing with jet lag. The following morning we met with the Provincial Council of Brazil to get oriented in terms of our travel throughout the Province and to get their view of the state of the Province. This is an opportune moment for the Province since they will be electing new leadership at the end of the month. The rest of the day was free, and plans were set to leave the following morning at 6:00 for the eight-hour drive to Marcelino Ramos, two states away. Let me say (and perhaps not for the last time) Brazil is a BIG country! Marcelino Ramos is in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, and is the site of a major La Salette Shrine. It just so happens that our arrival coincided with the annual celebration of the La Salette feast there, and so that was designated our starting point for the visit. Fortunately our drive was broken up by a stop at our parish in União da Vitória, nicely timed to coincide with lunch! Now, when I say an eight-hour drive two states away, please do not imagine any multi-lane highways. At least I saw none in this part of Brazil. Still, we must have been taking the major travel route because all the truck drivers were traveling this way. So, between trying to pass the trucks (thank God for climbing lanes!), traveling in the rain, and negotiating the dirt-road detour, let’s just say it was a long ride. In order to get to the town of Marcelino Ramos, we turned off the major road and took one that ended at the river. Marcelino Ramos is located at a bend in the river, and it proved more efficient to take the ferry across. The ferry consists of an old tug boat bound to a flat barge; vehicles pull up onto the barge and the ferry makes its trip across the river. Sometimes “simple” is the way to go. La Salettes have been in Marcelino Ramos for over eighty years. The Shrine (which was connected to the major seminary at one point) is at the top of the hill, dominating the landscape. This is symbolic of the way the town has identified with La Salette. As we drove up the hill, many houses displayed posters, murals, or statues of Our Lady of La Salette – some just for the time of pilgrimage (“romaria”), and some of an obviously more permanent nature. We were told today that the population is probably half Catholic and half Lutheran in this area, but a good relationship is established between these two expressions of Christianity. In fact, many of the Protestants help out at the Shrine during the pilgrimage time. From the time we arrived Friday afternoon until the pilgrimage ended Sunday afternoon we were treated to everything that was going on – Masses, devotions, announcements, songs – over the loudspeaker (didn’t we do that to torture prisoners-of-war at one time?) from 6:45 AM to 10:00 PM. The contrast yesterday afternoon, when everything was over, was like night and day. Silence now reigns at the Shrine. So does the garbage! I’m guessing that the Brazilians have not yet heard of the campers’ maxim about carrying out with you everything you brought in! To this foreigner the pilgrimage was a fascinating mixture of things I’ve come to associate with Charismatic prayer, Cursillo, and traditional Catholic devotions, both personal and communal. Combine this with the fact that many people spent the night in tents they erected on the property, and that there were booths selling things to eat and drink or selling religious articles and souvenirs, and you start to get the feeling of a county fair thrown in. Unfortunately the rain began again Sunday morning, meaning the bishop preached from the outside stage to a sea of umbrellas. The rain did not stop people from participating, and I eventually got the estimate: somewhere between 25,000 to 28,000 people in attendance (more than five-thousand cars were counted, along with 40 to 50 buses), served by 500 volunteers. The “pilgrimage” is obviously something people look forward to all year long. It becomes an event of personal and/or family piety, with the opportunity to offer prayer for whatever needs are present in their lives. It can also serve as an annual re-focusing of one’s life, bringing to the fore what is meant to be central in our life of faith. Because the message of La Salette is one of healing, forgiveness, conversion and reconciliation, it also offers a time to hear anew or respond to those aspects of the Gospel message. It was obvious that the volunteers were also having an experience of Christian community in service, working together in a way that would make any beehive jealous! We witnessed firsthand the baking of the bread that was served at the volunteers’ meals and – I am supposing – offered for sale to the pilgrims or served along with their meals. (I understand they baked 2000 loaves!) Teams of workers did everything from mixing the ingredients, attending the rising of the dough, transferring the pans to the wood-burning ovens, cooling the baked bread and packaging it in plastic bags. And that’s just one aspect of what was going on over and over! (Don’t ask me about the churrasco!) Speaking of churrasco, Friday night the four of us, plus a number of local La Salettes, were invited to the home of our fifth Council member, who remains in Rome during this time. It was a treat to meet his family, although I suppose we were a poor substitute for his presence, since his mother was celebrating her birthday! Adilson’s brother served up the churrasco, while the rest of the family oversaw the accompanying dishes. For those of you unfamiliar with it, a churrasco is a traditional Brazilian barbecue, with different cuts of meat roasted on spits over a wood fire that has burned down to coals. I noticed, while living in Somerville, that a number had opened in the Cambridge/Somerville area. There’s nothing like being served in the home of a friend, however. And, while this vegetarian did not partake of the abundant meats offered, I certainly did not miss out on the warmth that the evening generated. Today we got a different view of Marcelino Ramos. For many years La Salette was THE attraction in town. Then, at some point in the Fifties, someone prospecting for oil discovered that there are hot springs in the area. About five kilometers from the center of town a resort area has sprung up (and is still being constructed) with naturally-heated pools, spas, hotels and all the expected tourist shops. Our hosts treated us to a swim and lunch at one of the locations – an unexpected pleasure. Silvano did interview the pastor of the parish downtown Monday (also a La Salette ministry). In turn, we were interviewed by the newspaper and radio in town. I guess the four of us – an Italian, a Filipino, a Pole and an American – present a curious ensemble as we travel around! Monday evening was shared with a group of twenty or so laity with ties to La Salette. Silvano filled them in on what was happening with La Salette and their lay collaborators throughout the world. Then we shared Mass and dinner. Tuesday the visit began in earnest, since the Shrine is also home to the Novitiate and to the Mission Preaching Team. My promise: if the rain lets up, I’ll send some photos!
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 23:41:27 +0000
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