AMERICA/BRAZIL - The Archdiocese of Sao Paulo celebrates its Centennial Anniversary on June 8th: “a moment to thank God, renew our missionary commitment and our solidarity with those who suffer.”

Sao Paulo (Agenzia Fides) – The Archdiocese of Sao Paulo (Brazil) will commemorate the 100th anniversary of its creation on June 8, with an impressive event in the “Estadio de Pacaembu.” The theme of the event is “God lives in this city.” A Mass will be presided by the Apostolic Nuncio of Brazil, Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, accompanied by Cardinal Pedro Odilo Scherer, Archbishop of Sao Paulo, and numerous bishops from all over Brazil. An immense statue of Saint Paul, the city’s patron, will be carried in procession around the stadium and later taken to the Cathedral in the city’s downtown area.
Cardinal Pedro Odilo wrote a letter inviting all the faithful to participate in the event, especially the many pastoral organizations, institutions, and ecclesial groups, as they can be “a manifestation of the wealth of expression of the Christian life, of the diversity and unity of our Archdiocese.”
According to the Cardinal, the celebration will be a special opportunity to thank God for all these years of the Archdiocese’s existence and “for the lives of so many people that have lived in this city.” “We have many reasons to thank God.” It will also be an opportunity to “renew our commitment to the Church’s mission.” We should all “be grateful for the faith and the testimony of Christian life that those who proceed us have handed down to us,” the Cardinal said, “This inheritance is in our hands and it depends on us to share it with future generations.”
On June 8, “we also wish to renew our commitment of solidarity with those who suffer.” With that in mind, there will be a special collection made on that Sunday, whose proceeds will go towards the construction of the Parish of Saint Paulina in the shantytown of Heliopolis, the largest in the city.
The Archdiocese of Sao Paulo is home to over 6 million Catholics, divided into six regional diocese, with 277 parishes and 1,110 priests (diocesan and religious). Cardinal Odilo Scherer is the Archdiocese’s 7th Archbishop and has served as such since April 30, 2007. He was created Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI on November 24 of that same year. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 05/06/2008)