Fés participate in the traditional fluvial procession to the patron saint of fishermen São Pedro in Porto Velho | Rondônia

"The fishermen who started the tradition in the 1950s, when there was not even the church of St. Peter in Porto Velho, built in 1982. Two teams participate in the event. organization of the event, one is responsible for the ornamentation in the church of the boss and the other of the organization in the river procession, " declared fervent Helena Cruz, who participated in the procession for 11 years.

The procession began in the afternoon with the departure of the river procession. He left the port of Cai n Agua on the left bank of the Madeira River. There, the image of the patron saint waited for the faithful in the community of San Sebastian.

In this edition, the Navy of Porto Velho has made available 10 soldiers who ensured the safety of the crew during the crossing of the river. According to the Navy, about 80 worshipers participated in the parade of the river in two ships of the armed force.

The boats are decorated with blue and white ribbons by the fishermen themselves. The colors that represent the glory of God and heaven where the apostle is after fulfilling his mission as a father and pastor of the Church on earth.

"The ornamentation of the boats can only be done by fishermen.It is a way of thanking the patron of the protection that has been granted to him.Over these eleven years of procession, I I accompanied stories of mothers who offered their sick children to St. Peter's and were healed, "said Helena Cruz.

In decorated boats, one can find stories of ancient fishermen. These are people who have followed significant changes in the event for decades.

The former fisherman, Jose Soares, 83, also points out that the participation of the faithful during the procession of the river São Pedro has declined every year. "Most of the devotees who participate are old. On leaving, the procession sees a drop of participants, "lamented José ..

If the procession of the river undergoes changes, some traditions still persist.One of them is part of the faithful who give usually the name of the patron to the children, in order to thank the saint for the blessings obtained

One of these cases is the young Pedro Victor, 13. Xará of the patron saint of fishermen, he wishes to attend each year of the procession.

"My daughter's pregnancy was very complicated. The doctor told us to decide whether we were going to save his life or that of my grandson. Since I was raised by a fisherman, I decided to offer his life to St. Peter. If my daughter and my grandson survived, I promised to bring her every year to the procession, "said one of the faithful.