Happy First Birthday Paddy

While on holidays at home in Carnew we celebrated Paddy's First Birthday a little early. Along with Eilish, James and I.

The full birthday gang.
Sand tastes lovely
The hammock tastes lovely too!

A Visitor from Ireland

It is not often we get a visitor in this neck of the woods. (Not sure if I can say "wood" as there is little of it left here now.) My classmate Chris made the long journey from Ireland to us here in Mato Grosso and he was here long enough to go on a few visits to the far away communities. All of the pictures were took by Chris hence he is not in most of them except the last one.

Crossing The Red River Bridge.

As I say there is little left of the "wood" in this "neck of the woods".

The motor bike is king here. Here is a family of four arriving for Mass.

Horse and cart is still a part of life here.

Much to the amusement of the locals Chris took a few pictures of the dust. Dust is an unhappy part of life here.

Arriving for Mass in the new church in São Cléofas.

Setting up the Altar in São Cléofas

Chris & Hat with some of the locals after Mass.

Sundown or dust - not so sure.

Sitting on my door step.

A view of the main road through Town.

Celebrating the monthly Mass (and a Baptism) in the community of Nova Canãa

The moment of Baptism, no fancy marble baptismal fonts here, a plastic basin has to do the job.

After the Baptism we were invited to a local house for a party.

The meat being taken out of the oven.

A local root plant, not too unlike the potato, is being boiled on an open fire.

Homemade sausages drying over the fire in the kitchen of the house.

Some of the wooden houses in the town.

The only picture of Chris is this one from a visit to the sisters house.

Welcome Fr. Richard

Welcome to our parish team Fr. Richard. A newly ordained from Nigeria. Richard is one of the second group of Africans to be ordained for St. Patrick's Missionary Society. His class mate Fr. Patrick, also from Nigeria has been appointed to the parish of Juruena, north of us. Both men spent 6 months in this area working while they were students, now their stay here is a little more permanent. Welcome Padre Richard!

Celebrating First Holy Communion in São Rafael.