Brazilian nuns go viral after beatboxing on Catholic TV

Thomas Edwards• June 2, 2025

Sisters Marizele Cassiano and Marisa de Paula, two Brazilian nuns from the Copiosa Redenção congregation, have gone viral after an impromptu beatboxing session. The nuns appeared on the Catholic TV channel Pai Eterno, hosted by the recently ordained Deacon Giovane Bastos of the Redemptorist order.

When asked about their vocation, Sister Marizele began to sing a refrain – “Vocação, ooh” – from a song about the call to religious life. She then began to beatbox, with Sister Marisa responding by standing up and dancing. Deacon Bastos also joined in.

The sisters’ community, Copiosa Redenção – meaning “With Him there is plentiful redemption” – was founded in 1989 in Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil, by Father Wilton Moraes Lopes, a Redemptorist priest. The inspiration for the congregation came in 1987, when Fr Wilton, during a youth retreat, witnessed a young woman place a package of drugs on the altar during Eucharistic adoration. At that moment, he felt God calling him to dedicate his ministry to the rehabilitation of young drug addicts, hearing the words: “The work I want from you is this: the recovery of young addicts… someone must bring my redemption to their lives.”

With his bishop’s permission, Fr Wilton officially established the congregation of the Sisters of Copiosa Redenção on 8 December 1989. Notably, the community began with three lay women – all retired widows – Maria Moreira da Motta Santos, Ruth Marina da Silveira and Ione Strozzi, who became the first members of the order.

The congregation’s charism is rooted in the idea of abundant redemption available to all, especially sinners and the suffering. In 1991, following a revelation received by Fr Lopes, it was decided that each sister would spend one hour in daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, praying for those dependent on drugs and alcohol.

In 1997, a male branch was initiated when a group of young men began formation to become religious brothers (and eventually priests), marking the start of the Brothers of Copiosa Redenção. Today, the Copiosa Redenção congregation includes both nuns and male religious, as well as a lay association. Fr Lopes died on 4 March 2024 from a severe infection. To commemorate his legacy, the congregation published a book titled Força e Coragem (“Strength and Courage”) on the first anniversary of his death, chronicling his life and mission.

The charism of the congregation remains rooted in ministry to those dependent on drugs and alcohol. Today, the congregation operates at least six therapeutic communities for substance abuse rehabilitation and two social reinsertion houses, where recovering individuals transition back into society. It comprises roughly 130 members (religious sisters, brothers and priests), along with about 90 consecrated lay people who share in its mission. It is active in five states in Brazil and has two houses in Italy.

Sister Marizele is originally from Paraná in southern Brazil and entered religious life in her mid-twenties. Early in her formation, during her postulancy, she sensed that God had a special plan for her related to music and received a personal promise in prayer that she would one day lead other musicians.

Five years ago, Sister Marizele was invited to participate in Programa Vozes (“Voices”), a show on TV Evangelizar, a Brazilian Catholic network. Through that experience, she felt God awakening “a new mission within her vocation: music”. “After the programme, I realised God was calling me to evangelise through music. It was an old promise of His that began to sprout in my heart,” she said, referring to that earlier sense of calling. Embracing this path, Sister Marizele went on to record an album of religious songs. The album, titled Celebrar a Redenção (“Celebrate Redemption”), was recorded live at TV Evangelizar’s studios in Curitiba and includes eight songs, four of which are her own original compositions.

Sister Marisa, 41, from rural Paraná, has been a sister of Copiosa Redenção for 14 years. Her vocation story began in childhood – she recalls that a priest once told her parents: “God was generous in giving you two daughters; now you need to be generous with Him.” As a teenager, Sister Marisa was active in her parish youth group. At the age of 18, during a retreat, she felt a powerful confirmation of God’s call to religious life.

The sisters’ performance has been covered by ABC News, the Associated Press, People magazine, the Times of India and The View, and has been viewed almost a quarter of a million times on Deacon Bastos’s Instagram account alone.