All the Vincentians boarded about twenty busses that transported us from Belo Horizonte to Rio de Janeiro. As the busses drove behind one another deeper into the city, more and more Vincentians got off the bus. Then there was us, Sister Christian's group. Our hostel is walking distance from the beach. When I entered my new room, I couldn't help but feel so privileged. La Ciudad de Los Ninos in Belo Horizonte is so humble, and my room there was nothing like the one I'm in now. The Vincentians have done great things in Belo Horizonte, but our love for God is infinite, so our service for the poor is infinite too.
We went to mass in the evening, and I gotta tell you, this city is full of the spirit. There are people from all over the world that have come to celebrate with Pope Francis, who arrived earlier today. Random people on the streets see us walking in our Vincentian gear, waving our World Youth Day and USA flag and they shout out "papa!" They know we've traveled thousands of miles to join Pope Francis, they can see our excited faces, they can feel the same grace of God that we feel in our hearts. It's amazing.
mass in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
