Pastorelle Sisters attend the Altar Servers' Gathering
The 10th Gathering of Altar Servers and Acolytes of the Diocese of Caxias do Sul (RS) was a beautiful and joyful event organized by the Vocation Ministry and the Ministry for Altar Servers and Acolytes. It took place at the Our Lady of Aparecida Diocesan Seminary on October 24th—the penultimate Saturday of Missionary Month.
Around 9:00 a.m., the groups began to arrive and were welcomed with a communal snack, music, and choreography. The children and young people soon settled in, full of joy and eager to engage in the day’s program. Inside the gymnasium, the quiet, gray, and rainy morning—so dreary outdoors—was quickly transformed into a radiant atmosphere, brimming with the energy and enthusiasm characteristic of childhood and youth.
Around 9:30 a.m., Fr. Luciano Dalmolin led the opening prayer, invoking the Holy Spirit, followed by a hymn of consecration to Our Lady. The participants were divided into two groups: the younger altar servers, who received instruction from Fr. Eduardo Cantelli, and the older group, guided by Fr. Miguel Mosena in an area near the seminary’s auditorium. At 11:15 a.m., the Eucharistic Celebration began, presided over by Fr. Leonardo Inácio Pereira, Vicar General and coordinator of the Diocese’s Evangelization Action. In his homily, he offered a deeply catechetical reflection, focusing on the Annunciation by the Angel Gabriel and Mary’s response: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord!" He spoke with the children and young people about the need and importance of being more connected to God—and less connected to their mobile phones. She offered the example of Our Lady, who knew how to listen and respond because she was connected to God; she knew how to set out to meet Elizabeth, and in doing so, was able to discern her vocation and mission. She went on to explain the process of discernment with God’s help, concluding that being a missionary means being in God’s service—helping to draw people’s hearts toward Jesus.
Lunch was enjoyed within the respective groups from each of the 30 parishes covered by the Diocese of Caxias do Sul. During the lunch break, as well as upon arrival at the "vocation tent," the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd—known as the "Pastorelle"—was present and actively engaged. Sister Ilda Conte and collaborator Paulina Graziela Andrade welcomed, spoke with, and embraced those who already knew them from previous gatherings, while also meeting new faces and seeing new smiles for the first time.
In the afternoon, a series of interactive games and activities took place, concluding at 4:00 PM.
Praised be Our Lord Jesus Christ for this vocational Saturday—bringing together everyone from children to youth.
Graziela Andrade (Cooperatrice Paulina)
and sr Ilda Conte, sjbp
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