Feast for the Divine Eternal Father
Trindade, near Goiânia-GO, is expected to receive around 2,5 million visitors by July 1st for the festival in honor of the Divine Eternal Father. This year's program includes more masses and no concerts. It's a time for prayer.
247 - Faith moves thousands of people every year towards Trindade, in the greater Goiânia area. It carries stories of overcoming challenges and great devotion to the Divine Eternal Father. This year, the theme of the festival, which begins this Friday, the 22nd, and is scheduled to end on July 1st, is "Accompanied, encouraged and loved by the Father".
More than 2,5 million people are expected. Among the new features for this year are the expansion of days with masses during the early morning hours and the Mass of the Revelers (from the Epiphany celebrations), on Saturday the 23rd.
Rector of the Basilica Sanctuary, Father Robson de Oliveira, explained to the newspaper O Hoje (read more hereBoth the Basilica and the Parish Church will offer an extensive program during the ten-day festival, including 11 processions, more than 100 masses (celebrated by priests from all over Brazil), and 50 novenas, in addition to confessions and baptisms.
According to Father Robson, the church will welcome the pilgrims with all the structure it can offer and with "a lot of willpower." "We hope it will be a peaceful celebration. The Sanctuary is doing its part with great care, and we expect the same from the public authorities to welcome everyone well," he said. This year there will be no concerts during the festival. The focus is on prayer.
During the festival, the Goiás Volunteer Organization (OVG) will maintain the Trindade Pilgrim Support Center (CAR). This year, according to the OVG, the project will feature two new support points for pilgrims in partnership with the Federal Highway Police (PRF).
According to information from the state government website, the CAR, located at kilometer 9,5 of GO-060, between Goiânia and Trindade, will operate from Friday to July 1st. During this period, it is expected to receive more than 250 faithful who walk to the religious festival. The structure will have a total area of approximately 1.970 m², with a kitchen and a chapel for prayers.
Twenty-two portable toilets will also be installed on site. There will also be a Military Police command post, an ambulance and a fire department rescue vehicle on standby 24 hours a day, as well as an OVG medical support bus and a Unimed trailer.
On site, milk with cinnamon, coffee, tea, juice, bread with mortadella or butter, and water will be offered. In addition to OVG employees, volunteers registered with the Goiano Volunteer Center (CGV) and beneficiaries of the program will also support the initiative. University Scholarship Program, who will work as a form of service provision in exchange for the counterpart. The project, created in 1999, has the support of state government agencies and companies.
The two new support points of OVG, in partnership with the Federal Highway Police, will be installed next to the PRF posts located on BR-060: one at Km 184, between Abadia de Goiás and Guapó, and the other at Km 132, between Goiânia and Anápolis. Both points will operate from 7 am to 19 pm. Each will have a 10 x 10 m² tent where pilgrims can have a snack and rest. Bread, cinnamon milk, and water will be offered. Each point will also have two portable toilets.