CENTENARY OF THE HOLY FAMILY IN BRAZIL

The solemn closing of the celebrations, marking the centenary of the Holy Family in
Brazil, took place on the 6th of September 2008.  Don Tarcisco Scaramussa , auxiliary Bishop of the region of
Sao Paulo presided over the ceremony and he was accompanied by three priests and a permanent Deacon. 

About 500 people, from the parishes where we worked in the past or where we are working at the moment in
Sao Paulo and other states, participated with us in the ceremony together with many old and new friends, pupils, ex-pupils, member of our families and civil servants.  

There was also a good representation from members of the Holy Family from other Latin American countries: Peru, Argentina and
Paraguay and from the different vocations within our Family: Lay Associates, Consecrated Seculars and Apostolic Religious.  At the same time the Consecrated Seculars celebrated their very first Latin American Assembly.  Who knows?  Perhaps we will have the joy of having in our country the other vocations of the Holy Family – Contemplatives and Priest Associates

It was a celebration that was well attended and it was truly beautiful.  At the end there was a sharing of food and drink – a fraternal agape that always marked the meetings of the first Christian communities whose attitudes we wished to emulate.  We are sure that the Holy Family of Nazareth also offered some refreshment to any friends who visited them! 

Together we raised the Good Father’s tree – symbol of his inspiration and his dream.  In his dream, he saw a leafy tree with many branches laden with flowers and fruits of all the different seasons, fruits from different countries and of different qualities.  He saw a tree where, birds from the entire world, birds of every kind and colour came to nest in its branches – a real festival of colour, sound and perfume.  Each bird sang its own special song and together in unison and in perfect, beautiful harmony, they sang: Glory to God!  This was a very moving moment for all present. 

A mural was put up illustrating the last hundred years of life, showing where the Holy Family exercised its mission and where it sowed everywhere ‘the seeds of good works and the sweet perfume of Jesus Christ’.

There was also an ongoing visual showing something of our life throughout the century – a life in which so many people participated and now many of them have gone to receive their reward in the arms of the Father.

We pinned up the dozens and dozens of messages of love and communion, which we received from our friends from everywhere as well as from the members of our Holy Family from all over the world.