CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE' — PIERSON 



159 



pate ill the procession known as the "Procession 

 of the First Meeting." Two lines form in front 

 of the church, one faced toward tlie ipraqa and the 

 other, at right angles, toward the Eua da Penha. 

 One line is composed only of women and the other 

 only of men. Four women are carrying an andor 

 with the image of Mary and four men another 

 andor with the image of Senhor dos Pa-ssos (Jesus 

 Carrying the Cross). Each line begins to move, 

 the men led by the padre and singing hymns that 

 refer to the life of Jesus, the women singing 

 hymns that refer to the life of Mary. The men 

 pass through the praqa and the women climb along 

 the Rua da Penha until each group comes out at 

 different points on a winding cross street, formed 

 by the road that comes in from Boa Vista, where 

 they turn toward each other and proceed along 

 this street until they meet. The coming together 

 symbolizes ''the meeting of the glances of the Most 

 Holy Mother and her Son," as Jesus was carrying 

 the cross up Calvary. 



On the occasion of the fcsta this year, the pailre 

 then spoke for a few minutes, saying, among other 

 things : 



Think of that mother exchanging a last glance with her 

 son, he to wliom she had given birth, he who was flesh 

 of her fles^h and blood of her blood, and not beini; allowed 

 to take him into her arms ! Jesus was on his way to his 

 death. He was surrounded by soldiers and other per- 

 sons who were mocking him, and his Most Holy ilother 

 could not even come close enough to touch him. She could 

 only exchange with liim a glance ! How great must have 

 been the suffering of Our Lady! And all this, my 

 brethren, because of our sins ! Our sins which only the 

 tears of the Most Holy Mother and the blood of Jesus can 

 wash away ! Let us all kneel down and ask forgiveness 

 of the Virgin Mary and of Jesus Christ! I^et us ask 

 pardon for our sins! 



Kneeling, the padre then made the sign of the 

 cross, as did all the others present. A woman, 

 about 50 years old, began to weep hysterically and 

 turned and left the group, making her way to her 

 home. 



The men formed in line to either side of the 

 women and the two images, side by side, were car- 

 ried back to the church. No one was to be seen 

 in the village who had not taken part in the pro- 

 cession ; persons who for any reason could not par- 

 ticipate, had remained in their homes. That eve- 

 ning, a large crowd attended the reza in the church. 



No ceremonies are held either on Monday or 

 Tuesday. The village becomes even more quiet 



S4.3805— 51 12 



than usual. No one for any purpose will fire a 

 gun diu-ing these days.-™ No one plays a musical 

 instrument or laughs loudly. If a person momen- 

 tarily forgets and laughs out loud, he immediately 

 will receive from the other persons present, glances 

 of frank disapproval. If he were to continue to 

 laugh, the others would turn their backs upon him. 

 On the following day, the silence seems to increase. 

 The village appears deserted. Rarely does any- 

 one come to the stores. A few persons go to the 

 church to pray quietly. Several men have gone 

 to the river to fish, so that their families will have 

 a substitute for meat. 



From 8 o'clock on Thursday morning until the 

 same hour on Friday, several groups, each com- 

 posed of six persons, chosen by the padre, alter- 

 nate each hour in ''keeping watch" at the altar in 

 the room of the village church where the image 

 of Jesus in death is kept. The first 10 hours, or 

 until G o'clock in the evening, the watch, or gnarda 

 as it is called, is kept by women; the last 14 

 hours, from 6 o'clock in the evening until 8 o'clock 

 the following morning, the watch is kept by men. 



A cross, made of white roses and other flowers 

 and adorned with white lace, has been placed over 

 the case in which the image lies. In front is a 

 wooden railing and, beyond it, three plain benches, 

 to accommodate the "watchers." Back of these is 

 a small table, covered with a white cloth on which 

 are two prayer books for the use of the padre 

 whefl he enters the room periodically, during the 

 time the "watch" is kept. The members of each 

 group take turns kneeling in front of the railing, 

 two persons at a time, for approximately 5 minutes, 

 each holding a candle. The other four or five 

 persons in the group either kneel in prayer at the 

 benches or remain standing. That evening, the 

 church is always filled with people praying, while 

 a chorus, usually composed of two or three young 

 women, sings funeral hymns. 



On the evening of the following day, or Good 

 Friday, the "Procession of the Burial" is held. 

 "You should see the people who come in for this 

 procession," remarked a villager. "All the farms 

 around are emptied for it." This year, on the 

 night in question, the sky was clear and the moon 

 shone. The village streets filled with people to 

 an extent seen at no other time during the year. 



^J" Neither docs anyone "spill the blood" of an animal for food. 



