This year it was our parishes turn to host a meeting of parish {Christian} youth Clubs. "D.N.J." "Dia Nacional de Juventude" {National Youth Day}. One of our parish religious sisters is the diocesan co-coordinator, so we ended up hosting the event. This year the theme was all about saving the forest and protecting the environment.
The church was not big enough for Mass so we moved out to the Parish Hall for the celebration.
Getting ready to process in for the start of Mass.
The "Word of God" was met with dancing and cheering.
"Me" trying to proclaim the Gospel in Portuguese.
With all the youth and the long distance in travelling, meals were provided by the locals. Here the women are distributing "mandioca" not too unlike the "humble spud!"
Sister Yvonne dishes out the rice.
Barbecued meat is also on the menu.
With the distances here many of the youth stayed overnight in the parish dorms. This was supposed to be "siesta" time in the middle of the hot day!
People were asked to bring in donations to help feed the hungry youth. In the afternoon the women had prepared a huge amount of fruits of many different kinds and nothing was left over.
After the lectures in the late afternoon there was a noisy parade of youth through the town.
The parade crosses the main highway {no joke}.
Since the environment was the theme of the gathering the day was finished off by the youth planting trees in a bank of earth beside the local football pitch.
A group photo of "some" of the gathering, there was as many behind the camera.
