St John’s vision of the City of God

St John’s vision of the City of God is featured in a mural emblazoned on the walls of Brazil’s own City of God, a community once notorious for drug dealing and crime.

Local opinion remains divided on whether Fernando Mireilles’ 2002 film City of God was good news or bad news for the community. But without a doubt it brought the neighbourhood to international renown – and an image of Little Ze, the film’s most notorious drugs trafficker, has been included in the mural.

Overseeing the project is USPG Mission Companion Nicholas Wheeler, who has been working as priest missioner in the City of God.

Last year he commissioned international mural artist Joel Bergner to work with local teenagers to create murals of the Garden of Eden and the Last Supper on the Church of Christ the King’s boundary walls.

In November, Joel returned to depict the Book of Revelation’s vision of the City of God, and another 'timeline' mural telling the story of the neighbourhood since the first residents arrived in 1966.

Local people of all age groups and local organisations teamed up to help out. There were workshops on art and design and opportunities for the community to help agree on the content of the murals.

Speaking about the subject of the mural, Fr Nicholas said: ‘According to the Bible, humankind’s final destiny will be a city where healthcare, lighting and clean water are in plentiful supply and where there is no need for security. All very different from today’s City of God.’

However, there are hopes that the community is moving on from its notorious past. On 13 November 2008, police moved in. Thirteen people died that night and since then 300 policemen have remained to patrol the streets and keep order.

And this month, Fr Nicholas was installed as an Honorary Canon of the Cathedral of the Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro. He said: ‘I believe this appointment to be a generous recognition of the transformative partnership that we are building together in one of Rio de Janeiro’s neediest communities.’

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