Rio de Janeiro - A nun strummed an acoustic guitar. Monks in sandals sang. A disco light beamed rainbow-coloured stars inside a prayer room: Brazil's religious orders are working hard to find young recruits this week.
With Pope Francis in town for a Catholic youth event, nuns, priests and monks set up about 130 stands in a Rio de Janeiro park to attract people to an austere life dedicated to God.
At one stall, people took photos next to a life-size picture of Latin America's first pope. Others posed next to a man who sat frozen, dressed like Saint Francis in a monk's robe and a Bible in hand.
Others sold nun dolls, handed out popcorn or distributed bags adorned with pictures of Jesus skating.
Although many young people stopped to ask questions, few appeared willing to plunge into an eternity of celibacy or life in a remote monastery.
Keeping the Catholic flame alive in Brazil and elsewhere is one of the challenges facing the pope.
The world's biggest Catholic country has seen its flock shrink while Evangelical churches and secularism gain ground. In Rio, a metropolis of 12 million people, only 120 men are training for priesthood.
“Brazil is seeing a vocational crisis for religious life, whether it is men or women,” said Sister Neide Camparoto, dressed in a simple white T-shirt next to a “Welcome” neon sign inviting people into the disco-like prayer room.
Behind her, a poster hangs with a cross and picture of a boy skateboarding. Behind a black curtain, an image of Jesus hangs next to Saint Francis and above pillows while star-shaped lights bounce around.
“Young people seek new ways to pray,” said the nun of the Franciscan Sisters of God's Providence. “We're not on their backs telling them to come to our congregation, but you hope that something can spark God's calling.”
A few stands away, Sister Roselaine Pereira and fellow nuns painted the symbol of World Youth Day - a heart filled with a cross and Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue - on the cheeks of boys and girls.
With her own cheek painted, Pereira explained life in the order of Saint Teresa to 16-year-old Dandara Rodrigues, who is considering joining the religious life when she turns 18.
“The work of a nun is beautiful,” said Rodrigues, who wore a small wooden cross around her neck. “I want to be closer to God. But I am not sure if I may want a family one day.”
Sister Pereira believes that Latin America's first pope, with his charisma, can spark the flame among young Catholics.
“The pope can draw even more interest with his charm, by showing that he is religious and happy in his vocation,” the 30-year-old nun said as a rock band played on the other side of a pond. “I think religious life has a great future.”
Since arriving in Rio on Monday, Pope Francis has urged his young flock to spread the Gospel across the planet, using the modern trappings of Twitter to make himself heard.
One of the most popular stands at the park was manned by Jesuits - the Argentine pope's religious order.
“Pope Francis finds the simple words and gestures to repeat that God is close and Christ is present and solid, and Christian life is simple,” said Father Hubert Hirrien of France, explaining that consumerism is partly to blame for pushing people away from religion.
A group of young men from Argentina stopped by for information, but just that. Though religious, priesthood was not their thing.
“I never asked myself the question and I didn't ask Jesus. It's a hard question, but I haven't felt the calling,” said Francisco Moyano, a 21-year-old wearing the Argentine flag like a cape who prefers to pursue his computer engineering studies.
But then a trio of nuns-in-training, all in their early 20s, walked by in their robes and short-cropped hair - all certain they had made the right decision.
Daniela Silvestre, 22, found her calling recently. She was even due to get married last year and had picked out a wedding ring. But then she and her fiance both decided to join religious orders.
“We both realised that God was our calling,” she said. “Every day I realise that this was God's wish.” - AFP