The theme of the World Meeting of Families, "Love is our mission: the family fully alive", inspires the VII National Pilgrimage and the V National Symposium of the family, which will take place on May 30th and 31st at the Shrine of Aparecida (São Paulo). "It is time for us to place ourselves at the feet of the Virgin Mary and to ask her to continue walking with our families, opening the way, so that we may face the challenges of the future," says Fr. Rafael Fornasier, national councilor to the Commission for Life and the Family of the National Conference of Brazil's Bishops.
According to Msgr. João Carlos Petrini, Bishop of Camaçari and chairman of the Life and Family, the pilgrimage and the symposium are intended to strengthen the family and help it to face the challenges and conflicts in daily life with confidence. For the Bishop, it is important that they not rely only on their own facilities, but rather on the light that is Jesus Christ, so that "the family may be a place of cooperation and love."
The pilgrimage will bring together nearly 150,000 people and the symposium approximately 5000, including experts, bishops, priests and couples. The roundtable program will address the following topics: "Proclaiming the Gospel of the family," "Healing the family's wounds," and "Welcoming life and nourishing love."
In the afternoon, the program will feature testimonies of couples and musical entertainment. The candlelight procession will mark the end of the Symposium. On the following day, there will be Masses presided by the Bishops of the Commission for Life and the Family of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference.
