Vivo e Chutando

Inspired by World Youth Day (WYD) Rio in 2013, VT WYD has worked with youth to create a new mission and cultural exchange pilgrimage to Brazil.  During the WYD Closing Mass, Pope Francis spoke of sharing our experiences and not wasting them and charged us to go back to our parishes and shake things up.  Four youth took this message to heart, responded to the Pope’s call, and envisaged this mission pilgrimage. 

The journey is called “Vivo e Chutando,” which translates to “Alive and Kicking,” and is returning to Rio de Janeiro and Nova Viçosa, 20-29 July 2015.  We will spend five full days in Nova Viçosa, a rural area about 600 miles north of Rio, in the State of Bahia.  Although Brazil’s economy has performed well in the recent past, about 25% of the population lives in poverty.  Brazilian society, a mix of European, African and indigenous descendants, is also far from color blind.  Over 60% of Afro-Brazilians, many of whom live in the State of Bahia, live in poverty.

Two Vermont youth are returning to Brazil, bringing 5 others.  They have been collecting clothing donations for a few months and plan to purchase food staples in the local economy for the rural poor.  However, sharing material wealth is just one aspect of this journey.  The exchange between people will open the eyes of pilgrims and Brazilians alike to the reality that we are all one people, a universal community, under God.  We plan to tell our story, and who knows, maybe inspiration will strike again during our encounter with their culture that is so rich in faith and love…