The Calo Romani of Brazil

The Calo Romani of Brazil, numbering approximately 1,000,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are one of the three major Romani (Gypsy) ethnic groups in Brazil, alongside the Rom and Sinti. They are part of the global Romani diaspora but have a distinct Iberian-rooted identity. They mostly adhere to Roman Catholicism and Caló is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Calon

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Eurasian Peoples
Country: Brazil
People Cluster: Romani
Primary Language(s): Caló (rmq)
Primary Religion(s): Roman Catholicism
Population: 1,000,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG016568
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Calo Romani of Brazil

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Roman Catholicism
Religious Affiliation: Christianity

80%
%
Roman Catholicism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Caló
Language Family: Indo-European

80%
%
Caló Speakers

Media Resources in Caló:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Caló:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
Missao Amigos dos Ciganos (MACI)✓

1 entry

Or check out the Caló bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Calo Romani are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Calo Romani:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Calo Romani of Brazil

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
read1 John 1:9

Pray that God, who is faithful and just, will open the eyes of those who are lost and draw them to confess their sins and trust in Him to grant forgiveness.

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
readMatthew 16:16

Pray that many will see clearly that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and put their trust in Him.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
readPsalm 119:9

Pray that as young men place their faith in Jesus, they will walk in purity and live according to God's Word.

You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
read2 Corinthians 1:11

Pray that many people will join in praying for the spread of the gospel here, and that God will answer these prayers by drawing more people to Himself.

Roma, Calo Across Countries (ROP3 - 101857) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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