RosaryCrusadewiththeFamily

1963

Isabella Souza

In the first half of the 1960s, a movement of a political and religious nature spread across Brazil: these were the Family Rosary Crusades. Organized by Father Patrick Peyton – an Irish priest known as the "Rosary Priest" and founder of the Family Rosary association – these campaigns brought together crowds of the faithful and public figures for the joint recitation of the rosary. As they liked to say, "the family that prays together stays together."

Influenced by the context of the Cold War, the crusades acquired a strong anti-communist tone everywhere they took place. Due to the frequent associations between president João Goulart's positions and communist propaganda, these demonstrations soon became openly opposed to the government. The first crusades in Brazil took place in 1962, in Recife and Rio de Janeiro. But the movement quickly spread and brought thousands of people to the streets of Salvador, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, and São Paulo. So great was the commotion caused by the crusades that even public and sports schedules were changed, and optional days off were decreed during the events.

To carry out his activities, Father Peyton's campaigns had the backing of institutions like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and funding from American businessmen. The crusade rhetoric presented the rosary as a weapon for Christians against communism, understood as an atheistic ideology that destroyed traditional family values. Therefore, the recitation of the prayer took the form of a civic battle, aimed at protecting the country from the alleged threat.

In this way, the crusades became established as a platform for conservative political mobilization. The ideological use of their greatest emblem, the rosary of Our Lady, turned it into a symbol of anti-communist resistance. Women's organizations involved in the opposition to João Goulart – such as the Campanha da Mulher Democrata (CAMDE) and the Liga da Mulher Democrática (LIMDE) – made extensive use of rosaries in their banners, events, and political demonstrations. Not to mention, of course, drawing on the mobilizing power of Catholic oratory to strengthen their position in the face of the political upheaval that was sweeping Brazil.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph. In the background, there is a monumental statue of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms, wearing a robe with a vertical crosspiece. In front, five people are holding a large sign with text in Portuguese. From left to right, the sign reads: "Cruzada do Rosário em Família" ("Family Rosary Crusade") and "Grande Concentração Domingo 16 de Dezembro Candelária Av. Presidente Vargas 06h00" ("Great Gathering Sunday, December 16 Candelária Av. Presidente Vargas 6:00 a.m."). The last line mentions "Padre Peyton, c.s.c." as the speaker.