A century of waiting finally came to an end—wrapped in emotion, deep faith, and even a few tears.
100-year-old José Francisco recently received Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation all on the same day!
The ceremony took place at the Church of A-dos-Francos in Portugal and was celebrated by Father João de Brito with support from the Parish of Caldas da Rainha.
José was born in the same town and spent his entire life working in agriculture. A father of seven—six daughters and one son—he made sure all his children were baptized, even though he himself never was. The desire, however, remained quietly alive in his heart for decades.
How did it all begin?
The dream began to take shape thanks to an initiative of the Rotary Community Development Center (NRDC) of Caldas da Rainha and the Academy of Dreams. This past July, José participated in an activity that offered seniors immersive experiences through 360-degree virtual-reality glasses.
He “attended” a dance through virtual reality and, deeply moved, symbolically stepped out of the isolation of the room where he spends most of his time.
During a conversation with the team, he opened up about an old regret: never having been baptized.
He explained that the hardships of rural life—long days, exhaustion, and lack of time—kept him from receiving the sacraments. Now at 100, he felt it was “no longer worth it.” But the team encouraged him, insisting,
“It’s never too late to fulfill a dream.”
Spiritual Preparation
With the support of Father João Sobreiro and Father João de Brito, José began preparing for the sacraments. The priest visited him twice at the nursing home and prepared him personally. On November 15, all three sacraments were finally celebrated together.
A touching detail: the towel used at José’s Baptism was handmade by his wife and had already been used in the baptisms of their children.
A Celebration Filled with Faith and Gratitude
In an interview with Jornal das Caldas, José Francisco summed up his experience:
“It was very beautiful. I really liked the new priest who is in the parish, João Brito. I liked everything. And my next dream is to turn 101 on March 4th.”