Third Day Recap

“The difference between pilgrim and tourist is the intention of attention, the quality of the curiosity.”

Today we had another early start after an energizing night of sleep. Our first event of the day was a delicious breakfast prepared by the convent. After breakfast we started our reflection time where people were journaling, reading and observing the breathtaking views of Rio from the convent. After our reflection we proceeded to the bus for the day’s adventures.















Our first stop of the day was Saint Paul’s Cathedral, the seat of the Anglican Episcopal Diocese in Rio. We were greeted by Bishop Celso and Inamar, the Dean of the Cathedral. They described their many projects and the history of the church building and the diocese. Although they don’t have many regular members, the cathedral is an essential part of the surrounding Santa Tereza neighborhood. As a treat for the birthday boy, Will Boswell, Bishop Celso led a short liturgy, which included a prayer for his birthday.
















After we left the cathedral we continued to walk around the neighborhood, Santa Tereza, where our convent in also located.














We visited local shops and grocery stores where we saw foods we had never seen before and interesting pieces of artwork. After our walk we headed back to the convent for lunch where to everyone’s surprise we had a meal of rice and beans! Everyone is really starting to love the food. Once lunch was finished we quickly packed and set out for our next journey. Our first stop as we were driving was to pick up four youth and two priests from Church of the Redeemer. Then we all rode to Christ Church. Christ Church is the only Anglican English-speaking church in Rio.



















We got to walk around and see the beautiful old church and the British school on grounds. David the English priest there was informative and very friendly. Next on our journey we walked to the local grocery store where we stocked up on all the American food we could find. I’m sure everyone was satisfied after that trip.













Then we continued on our bus ride through the beautiful Brazilian forests. The scenery was gorgeous and the sunset was beautiful as it has been every day. On our bus ride was had plenty of time to bond with the Rio youth. Our main connection was music. Virginia’s portable speakers came in handy as we traded ipods to listen to American and Brazilian music. It was cool to see our common interest in music. We were all amazed that our bus made it up the mountain as we swerved to the top. When we got to the seminary we settled into our new rooms and proceeded to dinner. We had a change in the menu, as there was no rice and beans present. We had a delicious noodle casserole that everyone enjoyed. We also had a birthday cake for Will, the third cake of the day for Will, and we sang him happy birthday in Portuguese while all wearing Varsity hats. Before Compline we all wrote a “Rio pilgrimage” haiku. Here are two examples:

Blessed
Rio is
Quite beautiful now
Much land to
See
-helen harris

Rice
And Some Beans
We eat all the time
Beans and some
Rice
-annie thim

Everyone had a wonderful day and we look forward to a wonderful week to come.
Anna Baker, Annie Thim, and Virginia Zakas