Journey to Bahia
by Stanley Richards, Dias Gomes

THE STORY: Joe, a simple, idealistic young Brazilian farmer, carries a wooden cross thirty miles to fulfill a promise he has made to Saint Barbara.

In a desperate effort to save the life of his beloved donkey, Joe, a devout Catholic, made a promise at an Afro-Brazilian voodoo rite known as “candomble.”

When the donkey lives Joe and his wife, Rose, undertake the long and arduous journey through the backlands carrying a cross, intending to place it at the altar of the Church of Saint Barbara in the seaport city of Bahia.

But upon arrival Joe meets opposition from a dogmatic priest, who regards the promise as voodoo-inspired and refuses to permit Joe to enter the church.

Joe stubbornly encamps on the church steps, vowing to remain until he delivers his cross to the altar.

His less-than-idealistic and weary wife, Rose, urges him to forget the promise and return home.

Joe's integrity, however, remains steadfast.

In weariness and frustration, Rose succumbs to the enticements of a handsome young man, while Joe becomes a target for personal exploitation by an unscrupulous newspaper, corrupt politicians and a colorful assortment of townspeople.