During the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, celebrated in the Vatican and in Brazil on May 30, Pope Francis recalled that it is urgent to care for those who are hungry for food and dignity, for those who are unemployed and struggling to survive. “We must do this in a concrete way, just as the Bread that Jesus gives us is concrete,” said the pontiff. “We need real closeness; we need true chains of solidarity. Jesus in the Eucharist brings Himself close to us: let us not leave alone those who are close to us!”, added Francis.
Corpus Christi Day commemorates Jesus’s last supper with the apostles. It is when we celebrate the Mystery of the Eucharist – the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, figuratively represented by bread and wine. The date is marked by the making of sawdust carpets that color the streets and avenues of several Brazilian cities. This practice originated in Portugal and was brought to Brazil during colonization, between the 16th and 19th centuries.
At the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces of the Miraculous Medal, instead of sawdust, we honor the tradition of making the carpet with food. In 2024, we once again promoted a campaign to collect non-perishable food items, and we used their colorful packaging to make the carpet inside the Sanctuary.
This year, our campaign raised a total of 1174 kg of food, which was sent to some of the social projects supported by the Saint Vincent de Paul Religious Organization: Maria Solidária, Portas Abertas and the Refugee Assistance Center.
With the donations received, the Portas Abertas project put together 34 basic food baskets that will be delivered to the families of the children assisted.
The Refugee Assistance Center put together 30 basic food baskets to be given to the families registered in the project.
The food sent to the Maria Solidária project will be used to prepare hot meals, distributed to the homeless population, at Praça Eusébio de Oliveira, in Tijuca, on Saturdays. This project is coordinated by the Daughters of Charity Sisters, in partnership with members of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) – Our Lady of Grace Conference.
“We thank all those who collaborated. This date, so important for the Church, reminds us that we are all brothers and sisters, and invites us to respect each other, show solidarity and engage in dialogue. But we cannot ignore people who are hungry or who live in food insecurity. It was for them that we earmarked the donations,” said Sister Rizomar Bonfim, coordinator of social projects for the Company of the Daughters of Charity – Province of Rio de Janeiro.