This past weekend, preceding the celebrations of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, the clergy of the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte gathered atop the Serra da Piedade mountain range in Caeté, Minas Gerais, for a moment of reconciliation with God. More than 200 priests participated in the Penitential Celebration, presided over by the metropolitan archbishop, Dom Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo.

Held annually for over five decades, this year's Penitential Celebration of the Clergy was attended by Fathers Silvano Dias de Ávila, ss.cc, and Alexandre Campos Leite, ss.cc, both from the Sanctuary of Health and Peace, the Church of Blessed Father Eustace.

They, along with the other priests present, as well as the auxiliary bishops and the archbishop, offered prayers and sang hymns in preparation for confession. Immediately afterwards, in pairs, they confessed to one another, in a gesture of reconciliation and preparation for Holy Week.

After the celebration, the priests returned to their parishes and communities ready to serve God's people, now closer to the Father and with the sacrament of confession renewed!