Every month, the Marian Center of Figueira organizes a pilgrim experience that is awaited by groups of prayer and pilgrims from different regions of Brazil, in which also occasionally participate devotees from other countries. Whether accustomed or new to the experience, they tread the path with the devotion and joy typical of a spiritual practice.

Every month, the Marian Center of Figueira organizes a pilgrim experience that is awaited by groups of prayer and pilgrims from different regions of Brazil, in which also occasionally participate devotees from other countries. Whether accustomed or new to the experience, they tread the path with the devotion and joy typical of a spiritual practice.

Children meet Mary

In the morning of the 12th, Friday, the Marian Center of Figueira received groups of children who come from the Community of  Light Figueira, as well as from the Tibetan Park School, in the city of Carmo da Cachoeira, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Father and daughter prepare candles for the pilgrimage

With the Hill of Apparitions (an area of the Marian Center) as scenery, activities developed, specially prepared to celebrate the feast of Our Lady Aparecida and the Children’s Day.

Everything began at the entrance of the hill, where the children, visibly enthusiastic, together with teachers, parents and representatives, organized the candles, invoked their Guardian Angels, and organized to conduct what would be an emotional procession that came to Saint Joseph’s Square, located at a certain point of the Hill.

Once they were there, the stories began, and, in an agreeable way for the little ones, they were informed of the origin of the great devotion of the Brazilian people for Our Lady Aparecida and the details of how She became the spiritual patroness of Brazil.

Later, the children were taken to the House of Mary so that they could greet the Holy Mother in this meeting, in Her face of Our Lady Aparecida.

There were also games, a snack and lunch. Thus they celebrated, shared special moments and had their experience on this special day.

Reliquary of Saint Joseph

Invocating the guardian angel

In the meantime, the pilgrims from the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Carmo da Cachoeira began their walk from Vida Criativa (Creative Life), one of the lodging areas of the Community-of-Light of Figueira, to the Hill of Apparitions.

In the meantime, the pilgrims from the Brazilian cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Carmo da Cachoeira began their walk from Vida Criativa (Creative Life), one of the lodging areas of the Community-of-Light of Figueira, to the Hill of Apparitions.

In the late afternoon, the pilgrims participated in the Vigil of Prayer for Peace in the Nations, an activity that is part of the Campaign for Peace, of Association Mary.

Thus ended the first stage of the path, of which two more days of practice still awaited the group.

Cultivating cooperation

Spiritual attunement in the Wood of Harmony

On the following day, Saturday, the group was invited to continue the pilgrimage early in the Wood of Harmony, a green space that suggests introspection. There is the Oca there (a house inspired in South-American Indigenous huts), which is used for silent vigils.

A spiritual attunement opened the day. Soon, those present organized to harmonize the space, conducting spontaneous actions that led them to split in several teams to satisfactorily cover the planned tasks, such as cleaning the paths and the lianas on the trees.

The energy of harmonization extended up to the Hermit of Christ, one of the places of prayer of the Hill of Apparitions, located some meters away from the Wood of Harmony. In this place, once concluded the task, a prayer was said in support to the practical activity offered in that day.

In deep gratitude

Sunday came, and with it, the apex of the path. The place chosen was the Hill of Apparitions, where the pilgrims, in deep gratitude for the trodden path, offered one-thousand Hail Marys to the Universal Mother. They also expressed their intention that, by means of their prayers, a channel might be opened so that the Divinity could come to the souls in need of Her love and guidance. In this way, the pilgrimage of October ended, leaving a luminous weekend through two paths trodden, the one of the children and that of the pilgrims.

Would you like to participate in these pilgrimages?

Get in touch with the Marian Center of Figueira

centromarianofigueira@associacaomaria.org

WhatsApp +55 35 99720-5624