On the way to Easter, the community of Carnaubeira da Penha has experienced moments of great significance and spiritual growth. Through a youth camp and the participation in the opening of the Fraternity Campaign in the Diocese of Floresta, the participants have strengthened their faith, union and commitment to the care of the environment and social justice. These experiences have been a testimony of joy, reflection and renewal, preparing them to live Easter with a full and renewed heart.
Carnaubeira da Penha Parish Youth Camp
Setting out on the road is an important attitude for those who follow Jesus, so in the Parish of Carnaubeira da Penha, in Brazil, we are preparing to live this Lent with strength, so that we arrive with a good footing and with a strong heart to Easter, in order to live it to the fullest.
Setting out on the road is a fundamental attitude for those of us who follow Jesus. For this reason, in the Parish of Carnaubeira da Penha, Brazil, we are preparing ourselves to live this Lent with intensity, in the hope of arriving strengthened to Easter and to be able to celebrate it in fullness.
On March 1 and 2, 2025, a group of 50 young people from the parish participated in an enriching camp in the community of Areia dos Pedros. According to the evaluation of the participants, the two days were full of reflection, sharing, joy, animation, participation, union, friendship, prayer, responsibility and learning. All agree that it was a wonderful and unforgettable experience, marked by a deep sense of happiness, strength and commitment, renewing positive energies to continue their journey of faith.
The young people expressed their gratitude to the communities that welcomed them during the camp, highlighting that, through the activities carried out, they acquired new knowledge, strengthened their faith and made valuable friendships. It was an experience that allowed them to disconnect from social networks and immerse themselves in an authentic experience, sharing a weekend with people who shared the same spirit of joy and fraternity.
They also emphasized that the camp helped them to reaffirm their determination, love, faith and hope. They expressed their gratitude for the reception, welcome and support provided by the coordination, and pledged to return to their communities with the intention of serving and supporting the families who so generously received them.
And God saw that it was all very good…!
H. María López Otero, CCV
“The whole universe is a language of God’s love, of his affection for us.” Laudato Si’
On March 9, in the Diocese of Floresta, parish of Petrolândia, the opening of the Fraternity Campaign took place, with the participation of 11 parishes, among them Carnaubeira da Penha, represented by Sisters Maria Lopez and Margarida, together with three lay people. The presence of the people, in a penitential environment, had a great spiritual and communitarian meaning.
At 4:00 p.m., the gathering began on the banks of the São Francisco River. After a warm welcome, the ecological walk through the Way of the Cross, inspired by the encyclical Laudato Si’ of Pope Francis, began. The representation of Creation, through a moving choreography performed by the youth, illustrated the message of fraternity and integral ecology.
Each parish participated with posters, banners and banners, creatively assuming the presentation of a station of the Stations of the Cross. Carnaubeira da Penha was in charge of the tenth station, “Jesus is stripped of his clothes”, relating it to the stripping of the rights and opportunities of the most vulnerable. This moment served as a call for ecological and social conversion.
The walk culminated with the celebration of the Holy Mass in the Mother Church, where the moment of the offerings was highlighted, with typical food from each region and the participation of the pastoral of the indigenous peoples of the diocese. They, with their traditional costumes and paintings, offered bread and wine, expressing their cultural and spiritual identity.
After the celebration, a small snack was shared as a sign of fraternity and community.
Thank you, Lord, because everything was very good!
Carnaubeira da Penha Community – Pernambuco, Brazil
