LA脷NDOS, Portugal (AP) 鈥� Guilherme Peixoto, a village priest in northern Portugal, has been busy this month celebrating Masses at his two parishes, presiding over remembrances for the dead 鈥� and preparing the electronic music set for his next international DJ gig.
What started nearly two decades ago as a novel way to fundraise for the local churches has become essential to the ministry of this 49-year-old Catholic priest in a where religious practice is dropping fast 鈥� especially among young people.
鈥淲ith electronic music I can take some message, I can be where young people are,鈥� Peixoto said a few days after returning to La煤ndos from playing at a large Halloween festival in Italy. "They can think, 'If it鈥檚 possible for a priest to be DJ, it鈥檚 possible for me to like music, and festivals, and be Christian.'"
The priest broke onto the global stage when the organizers of World Youth Day in Lisbon asked him to 鈥渨ake up the pilgrims鈥� at 7 a.m. before in August.
Peixoto, who鈥檚 also a military chaplain, had been preparing for the sets he would play with the Portuguese Army鈥檚 symphony band in late October, but he put everything aside and started prepping for the huge event only a few weeks away.
On that Sunday morning, in his clerical collar and large black headphones among a crowd of white-robed bishops and before an estimated 1.5 million faithful, Peixoto swayed to the dance beat he mixed with clips of papal speeches.
Early into the 30-minute set, the 1978 exhortation by St. John Paul II to 鈥渘ot be afraid鈥� to open one鈥檚 heart to Christ sounded out in Italian. Pope Francis鈥� words that 鈥� 鈥渢odos, todos, todos鈥� in Spanish 鈥� closed out the set as pilgrims danced and Peixoto smiled broadly.
He鈥檇 been up all night to mix in audio of Francis鈥� speech from the previous evening. And as soon as he received Communion at Mass, he traveled more than four hours back to his village for a procession, said Silvana Pontes, one of his parishioners who volunteers at the club in La煤ndos where 鈥渢he DJ priest鈥� plays on several weekend summer nights.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 think that we鈥檙e in a bar with a priest. You just feel it. It鈥檚 so natural and people notice that,鈥� Pontes said in Ar de Rock, the parish's little open-air club on a shrine-topped hill above the village. 鈥淧eople see that we鈥檙e joyful.鈥�
When Peixoto was first sent here in the mid-2000s, the parish was cash-strapped and in debt from renovations to the main church. But parishioners were tired of bake sales and door-knocking campaigns, so Peixoto called onto the youth choirs to start karaoke fundraisers.
And since he鈥檇 been in two bands in seminary 鈥� though he had sold his equipment and sound systems before ordination, figuring his music career was over 鈥� he livened up those events playing rock sets from his laptop.
Within a few years, debts were paid off, fresh church renovations were completed, Peixoto was taking professional DJ classes, and most parishioners had come to take it for granted that the priest mixed a wicked beat at Ar de Rock.
鈥淚n the beginning it was strange, but now it鈥檚 the norm. They understood the priest is also a person,鈥� said Tania Campos, who was born and raised in La煤ndos where she serves as catechist, choir singer and Ar de Rock volunteer. As parish secretary, she鈥檚 also been fielding increasing numbers of calls and emails from post-World Youth Day fans.
Five dozen volunteers kept the bar going this summer on Friday nights 鈥� not Saturday, since Peixoto celebrates Sunday morning Mass 鈥� as hundreds of people, sometimes three generations of the same family, came to dance and mingle until 3 a.m.
On the last night of the season in September, volunteers in the kitchen 鈥� decorated with license plates brought by visitors from Arizona to S茫o Paulo to Switzerland 鈥� prepared 300 鈥渇rancesinhas poveiras鈥� sandwiches, said Irene Pontes, a member of the parish council and volunteer for more than a decade.
The gooey meat-and-cheese specialty from northern Portugal is especially welcome after the bar鈥檚 powerful signature drink, caipirinha. More than 1,000 of those were sold the first night they were offered at a few euros (dollars) a glass, said Andreia Flores, who volunteers behind the bar and belongs to Peixoto鈥檚 second parish in the nearby village of Amorim.
Food and drink sales, as well as other donations, all go back to the church, which is readying its most ambitious building project, a new center for youth activities.
鈥淭his is why I鈥檓 happy to be here,鈥� Flores said. 鈥淔aith is to make others happy.鈥�
For Peixoto, DJing in and far beyond the village has become a vital new way to evangelize.
鈥淚鈥檓 making these messages arrive where the church is not,鈥� he said of engagements like the Halloween festival with some 30,000 partygoers. There, he re-mixed electronic dance beats with words from Pope Francis鈥�
鈥淭he people are dancing with sentences from 鈥楲audato Si鈥�,鈥欌�� Peixoto added with a chuckle. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not so much 鈥� two-three sentences from the Pope 鈥� but if I wasn鈥檛 there, it鈥檚 no sentence. It鈥檚 like a small seed, and the Holy Spirit will do his work.鈥�
In fact, it was another document from Pope Francis, urging clergy to go find 鈥渢he lost sheep,鈥� that pushed Peixoto to work harder on his music skills so that professional-sounding sets could become a way to reach those who might never step inside a church.
In Portugal, about half of young people say they have no religion. Most participate less in services and have less confidence in the Church, and pray less than older generations, according to a recent study by Eduardo Duque, a professor at the Catholic Portuguese University in Braga.
鈥淧adre Guilherme says, 鈥業f we can鈥檛 bring them to church, we鈥檒l bring the church to them,鈥欌�� said Silvana Pontes. While most who patronize Ar de Rock don鈥檛 go to Mass, she added, some become curious enough to ask about worship times.
So Peixoto plans to continue to improve his DJ skills to bring a Christian message to audiences who might have never heard of Jesus 鈥� while remaining committed to all regular parish activities.
As soon as he came off the stage just before dawn at the Halloween festival in Italy, Peixoto and his team of 12, who handle everything from lighting to video, rushed to the airport for flights back home so he could celebrate afternoon Mass for All Saints and All Souls celebrations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to me to not only be the priest DJ, but be the shepherd of the community,鈥� Peixoto said. 鈥淭he world is not so closed to Jesus. But you need to speak the language.鈥�
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Giovanna Dell'orto, The Associated Press
