This concrete gesture was made on May 14 when the whole world stopped for a moment on the World Day of Prayer promoted by the High Committee for Human Brotherhood to ask the Lord for the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. During the Mass celebrated in the chapel of Santa Marta in the Vatican, Pope Francis recalled that there are also other “pandemics” that cause millions of deaths: the pandemic of hunger, war, children who do not have access to education, and invited to ask God to bless and have mercy on humanity.

The San Antonio parish in Joinville was open all day, so anyone who wanted to, from every family or parish group, could offer at least one basket to give to the most needy. The donated baskets were placed in the church benches to symbolize the charity of the family in this moment that calls for solidarity. In the place where families normally sat to pray and participate in the liturgy, baskets with primary needs were placed, donated with love and generosity.

Fr dos Santos hoped to reach at least 2,000 baskets, but the numbers exceeded expectations. “They looked like small ants. All the faithful of our parishes made a gesture of charity. From 8 in the morning until 8 in the evening, people didn't stop. Slowly people came, deposited their baskets, bent their knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament and left. Each basket is a gesture of love, said Fr Renato.

“The Blessed Sacrament was exposed all day long. Every person who came to give something prayed a little and then left. And Jesus will look closely at our gesture of love,” concluded the parish priest.

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