Celebration in honor of the patron of the district was marked by great devotion
On the afternoon of June 18, the square of Paracatu de Baixo (Mariana/MG) was filled with faith and devotion during the Feast of St. Anthony. After two years, the community has started to celebrate and honor its patron again.
“The feast is very important for Paracatu, for St. Anthony is our patron and we have a lot of faith. It’s a celebration that moves the community, everyone likes it. Lots of people came and many of them had not visited Paracatu yet since the collapse. The celebration was very beautiful”, says Maria Geralda Oliveira da Silva, one of the leaders of the Paracatu chapel.
The celebration began with the procession accompanied by the Three Wise Men (Folia de Reis), another tradition of the district that, exceptionally this year, took to the streets in June. Traditionally, the Three Wise Men festivities take place in September to pay homage to baby Jesus, saint of devotion, and in December, after Christmas, for a ten-day procession. However, led by the union of the community and the occasion, they also decided to give their devotion to St. Anthony.
About 170 people from Paracatu de Baixo (MG) participated in the Feast of St. Anthony, patron of the district. | Photo: Sidy Link
About 170 people from Paracatu attended the celebration, many of whom had not seen each other for a long time. “It was wonderful, I did not expect to encounter so many people in Paracatu, many people I had not seen for a long time”, says Mr. José do Patrocínio Oliveira, also called “Seu Zezinho”.
It was really an opportunity for socializing among the families that, until the completion of their houses, live in Mariana. “It was a moment of fraternization of the community retrieving their hometown atmosphere and meeting with their neighbors and friends”, says Mara Fantini of the resettlement team.
The Renova Foundation supports and values initiatives to recover the traditions that define the communities impacted by the collapse of the Fundão dam.