In Portugal where half the young people say they have no religion, a Catholic priest has discovered a unique way to connect with them.
Guilherme Peixoto (pictured) blends faith with electronic dance music as a DJ priest.
“Padre Guilherme says, ‘If we can’t bring them to church, we’ll bring the church to them’” said Silvana Pontes.
She acknowledges that while most who patronise Ar de Rock don’t go to Mass, some become curious enough to ask about worship times.
Outreach found by accident
What began as a fundraising venture for local churches nearly two decades ago has now become an integral part of the ministry of 49-year-old Peixoto.
Peixoto recently gained global recognition when he was invited to DJ at World Youth Day in Lisbon.
Mixing a dance beat with clips of papal speeches, he delivered a compelling message to an estimated 1.5 million faithful.
His innovative approach aims to bridge the gap between the Church and a younger generation that is increasingly disengaged from traditional religious practices.
“With electronic music, I can take some message. I can be where young people are” Peixoto said a few days after returning to his village, Laúndos, from playing at a large Halloween festival in Italy.
“They can think, ‘If it’s possible for a priest to be a DJ, it’s possible for me to like music and festivals, and be Christian.'”
Peixoto’s journey into music began as a response to financial challenges faced by his cash-strapped parish.
He introduced karaoke fundraisers, later transitioning to rock sets on his laptop. The success of these events not only cleared debts but also funded church renovations.
Dancing to Laudato Si’
Today, his DJ sets at the open-air club “Ar de Rock” have become a norm for the community.
“The people are dancing with sentences from ‘Laudato Si’,’” Peixoto chuckled.
“It’s not so much — two-three sentences from the Pope — but if I wasn’t there, it’s no sentence.
“It’s like a small seed, and the Holy Spirit will do his work.
“In the beginning, it was strange but now it’s the norm.”
They understood the priest is also a person” said Tania Campos, the parish secretary who has been fielding an increasing number of enquiries from post-World Youth Day fans.
Peixoto plans to continue improving his DJ skills to bring a Christian message to audiences who might never have heard of Jesus. At the same time, he remains committed to all regular parish activities.
“It’s very important to me not only to be the DJ priest, but be the shepherd of the community,” Peixoto said.
“The world is not so closed to Jesus. But you need to speak the language.”