When I returned from Ireland I had a lot of difficulty getting back to base, mostly because of the plane crash in Sao Paulo on the morning I arrived, which delayed flights for weeks. When I did eventually get a flight to Cuiaba, the capital of Mato Gross state, the buses to Juina broke down. Four buses and 30 hours later I arrived at Juina bus stop to be met by our bishop here, Dom Franco Dalla Valle. He gave me a lift to my car which was parked in The Curia. As I set out driving for Castanheira, this was to be the last time I saw Dom Franco. The next day he got a heart attack. A few days later he was transferred to a hospital in Cuiaba. He had two more heart attacks, the last one being fatal and he died on the day of his 62nd Birthday. He was the first bishop of this new diocese which is 9 years old. I have to say I never such grief among the people as I did at his funeral.
Here are some photos of his removal by airplane from Cuiaba to Juina Airfield and to the Cathedral. The distance and the heat would require a hasty funeral.
Most funerals here take place within 24 hours of the person dying. The family then would come to the church on the 7th day for a funeral mass. Often people are buried without the priest. In fact the last time I was in the cemetery here was on All Souls day, 2nd Nov last year. I had just arrived here and we celebrated an early morning mass in the cemetery. All Souls day is a bank holiday here in Brazil.
Preparing the Cathedral to receive the remains of its first bishop.
There are no hearses out here, so the Cathedral Jeep is prepared to carry the bishop's remains.
"Moto Parking" - Most people cannot afford a car so the motor bike rules here.
People and "Nuns" arriving by the bus load at the airfield. We waited nearly three hours for Dom Franco's remains to be flown in.
The Cathedral parish jeep - now a hearse - waits at the runway
Some of the crowd waiting outside the airfield fence
More waiting on the other side of the airfield building
The plane arrives eventually with a number of clergy on board who drove down to Cuiaba {14 hours away} to organise the flight up to Juina.
Despite the police's best effort the crowd surged forward on to the runway.
Cameras at the ready as Dom Franco's coffin is unloaded from the plane
Placing Dom Franco's remains on the back of the jeep. Everyone wanted to give a hand and it got a little dangerous for a few minutes.
The two youngest priest's of the diocese accompany the remains on top of the jeep. The priest on the right {in jeans} is now the Vicar General of the diocese after two years of ordination. In fact he is the only priest member of the diocese working here. The rest are volunteers like myself.
The funeral cortege leaves the airfield
The funeral cortege entering the town of Juina
The is a huge motorbike cortege up front not too unlike a police or army escort.
Waiting at the Cathedral. The car radio is giving a live coverage of the funeral cortege. The diocese owns its own radio and TV station. "Radio Nazareth" gave live coverage to the sad events.
Sheltering in the trees of the Cathedral grounds.
More sheltering in the trees to avoid the hot sun. some have been waiting 3 or 4 hours as I was myself.
The funeral arrives under police escort
The faithful pay their respects to their first bishop, Dom Franco Dalla Valle.
