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June 12, 2025By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
Immigration concerns kept many people away from a Catholic conference that drew thousands to Worcester, but those who did go found encouragement there – from Bishop McManus, from a Brazilian priest with millions of social media followers, and from each other.
More than 5,000 of 10,000 hoped-for participants attended the 10-hour, Portuguese-language gathering at the DCU Center in Worcester May 31, according to Deacon Rafael Longhini, a Brazilian native. Recently ordained a transitional deacon for the Worcester Diocese, he handled conference liturgical matters. He said mostly Brazilians, but also many natives of Portugal and some Cape Verdeans, came. Most of them were from Massachusetts, but some were from Canada, California, Texas, North and South Carolina, Maryland, Virgina, New Jersey, Connecticut and perhaps other states, Deacon Longhini said.
Organized by Obra de Maria, a private association of the faithful born of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Brazil, the conference reflected the association’s charism, “To evangelize in all ways with joy,” Deacon Longhini said.
The conference included Mass, eucharistic adoration, preaching, praise and worship and a concert by Father Gilson Azevedo, a Brazilian from the Congregation of Carmelite Messengers of the Holy Spirit, and his band.
With his music ministry, Som do Monte (Sound of the Mount), the 38-year-old Father Azevedo gives concerts in Brazil and around the world and has more than nine million followers on Instagram and more than seven million YouTube subscribers, Deacon Longhini said.
How did Worcester get such a popular speaker?
“Because we have so many Brazilians,” and the support of Bishop McManus and Father Adriano Lessa, a Brazilian who is associate pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Milford, Deacon Longhini said.
“I think the presence of Bishop McManus … brought to us some joy and some hope in our diocese,” he said. “Everyone is talking about his speech.”
Photo by Tanya Connor | CFP
Bishop McManus blesses Heitor Alves, 4, dressed like popular conference musician Father Gilson Azevedo, of the Congregation of Carmelite Messengers of the Holy Spirit. With Heitor are his father, Lúcio; mother, Kamilla; and brother, Artur, 10 months, (not visible), from Plymouth.
Attendees applauded as Bishop McManus was introduced, and again when he thanked Father Lessa for inviting him. The bishop led them in the “Our Father,” blessed them and spoke briefly through a translator.
“When I came to the Diocese of Worcester as bishop, one of the first communities I visited was the Brazilian community,” he said. He said that community was rather small 21 years ago, but now has a significant number of members in Worcester and elsewhere in the diocese.
“In many ways, the Diocese of Worcester is a diocese blessed with many new immigrants,” he continued, and listeners applauded and cheered. “All of these new immigrants have brought to the diocese a vibrant Catholic faith. … My fervent prayer is that the Brazilian community will continue to grow here in the Diocese of Worcester so that this growth will build up the … Church” and be a sign to the world that the faith flourishes here.
Deacon Longhini said it was a comfort for those gathered to have their “good shepherd” bring this message, particularly in the current political climate and government orders involving deportation and immigration. He said that as Bishop McManus made his way out of the arena, attendees reached out to shake his hand and have him bless their children.
Father Azevedo told them that the conference gave him hope for the United States to become more Catholic, Deacon Longhini said. The deacon said that the priest coming to Worcester helped attendees feel supported in their spiritual life. Many Brazilians here were among millions watching Father Azevedo’s 4 a.m. rosary on social media this past Lent, he said.
Maria Izabel Pinto, of St. John, Guardian of Our Lady Parish in Clinton, said she watched Father Azevedo’s rosary – but not live – and she loves his music.
His words brought much hope and peace, especially needed by immigrants who don’t have family or friends here, she said.
“He [helped] us to be more connected to God” and each other, she said. Hearing him and the other priest who spoke at the conference “helped my faith to grow … stronger.”
Deacon Longhini said the presider and homilist at Mass, and praise and worship leader, was Father Edimilson Cunha, of Canção Nova (New Song), an International Private Association of the Faithful founded in Brazil. It was present in the Worcester diocese in the past, but is not here now, Deacon Longhini said. He said Father Cunha came from Brazil for the conference.
Deacon Longhini said he himself was asked to carry the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance in procession and to bless people at Benediction.
“Being a deacon for 15 days … I was very moved to bring Jesus among more than 5,000 people,” he said. He’d planned on staying behind the scenes.
Father Thiago Ibiapina, a Brazilian native and associate pastor of St. John’s in Clinton, said he came to the conference to support his parishioners and was touched by meeting Father Azevedo. He was impressed that this priest, so important in Brazil and elsewhere, was humble, talking with him, “a local priest who is not famous.”
“He actually thanked me for my work here with immigrants, especially during this time” of fear of deportation, Father Ibiapina said.
He said conference-goers felt support from each other as a Brazilian community.
“It was an amazing experience that day for our Catholic community,” and not just Brazilians, said Claudia Viola, of the Brazilian community at St. Anna Parish in Leominster, whose members sat together at the conference.
Initially, attendees thought noon to 10 p.m. would be “a long, long day,” she said. But, when there, “we wanted more. … It will be imbedded in my heart and soul forever.”
She said she listens to Father Azevedo daily and she shares his words on social media.
Some planned to watch the conference on YouTube, she said.
“Some people that I know didn’t go,” she said. “People were concerned immigration” agents might be in Worcester. She said she didn’t expect more than 5,000 to come. Seeing all those people praying together she realized that, despite some people leaving the faith, “the Catholic Church is very much alive.”