Twin Carmelite Churches
Yesterday I was going back to the legionary house in Rio where I am staying. I took the bus, and there was no seat for me. A young man stood up and said “Father, please take my seat” I said “Do not worry…” and he replied, “Please, I insist”. So, I sat down and later he sat beside me and we talked. His name is Igor and he is a WYD volunteer. Igor is very excited to see Pope Francis and to serve the pilgrims. Every day I see examples like Igor, the people from Rio de Janeiro (“cariocas” as they are called) are very good hosts!
Today I left the house really early again, around 6:30. I had an early appointment in downtown, about a 45-minute bus ride from where I live. So, I decided to test the 35 seconds rule (35 seconds to find a Church walking randomly in any direction) and pray my one-hour meditation in any Catholic Church I would find. So, when I started to look for a Church, I found one in about 15 seconds, and walking in that same street I found another three Churches in about five minutes.
I was really happy to know that one of the Churches was “Our lady of Carmel” and right next to it another church called “Our Lady of Mount Carmel”. Today is the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and I was able to visit two Carmelite Churches! A very nice lady told me that the Churches were built literally next to each other because two groups of Portuguese Catholics in the colonial times were competing to see who would build the most beautiful Church. The results were two gorgeous baroque Churches, all made in wood with a lot of details in gold, very precious.
In the afternoon we had Mass at the Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro with Archbishop Orani Tempesta.
Many Churches in downtown Rio de Janeiro were built in the colonial times (1500-1700); most of them are baroque style. The Cathedral is very different from all of them; it has a very modern style. The Cathedral has the shape of a cone. Its inside is very simple and clear. It has few images and almost no details. The view is centered on the altar and on the stained-glass windows that go up to the ceiling. It is really impressive. It made me think that we need to empty ourselves from earthly things to look up to the riches of heaven.
This was a special Mass with all the national and international volunteers. The diocesan volunteers were not there — I believe they would not fit. The Mass was in Portuguese, Spanish, English, Italian, French, Polish and German. The Cathedral was completely full of people, thousands of people. The Bishop encouraged everyone to serve with their whole hearts during the WYD. Brazilians say that Rio is the “marvelous city” (“cidade maravilhosa”). The Bishop mentioned that the volunteers that arrive make the city even more marvelous. He definitely won all of us!
At the end of the Mass I had a very beautiful experience. Before starting communion, one of the organizers said they need people to distribute communion and asked anyone who is extraordinary minister of communion to go to the Sacristy. I used to distribute communion in the parish were I taught CCD last year, so I went there. When I arrived at the sacristy, there were a lot of extraordinary ministers, so I decided to leave and a young man came with a ciborium and gave it to me and said “Please, Father” I said “Do not worry.. I am not a priest…” and he replied “It is better that you go than me…” I almost cried when he said that. So I helped to distribute communion and again it was hard not to cry. It was really powerful to see all those young men and women receiving communion with such devotion, young faces full of joy and hope and a deep love for Christ. I can’t wait to be a priest someday.
After the Mass I met two former legionaries that are very good friends of mine. Neto is Brazilian and Pedro is Argentinian. Pedro had a group of friends from Regnum Christi of Argentina. So, we decided to have lunch together. So, that is how I finished that beautiful day dedicated to Our Lady of Mt Carmel, having dinner with my Argentinian friends, my RC family. God is definitely present here Rio.
