holy water font of Our Lady of Aparecida

History of Our Lady of Aparecida

Our Lady of Conception Aparecida is the patroness of Brazil, and her history is deeply linked to the Paraíba do Sul River.

The Miraculous Encounter in the River (1717)

The story begins in 1717, in the state of São Paulo.

1. The Difficult Fishing: Three fishermen – Domingos Martins, João Alves, and Felipe Pedroso – were tasked with catching fish for a banquet in honor of the Count of Assumar, governor of the Captaincy of São Paulo and Minas Gerais.
2. The Discovery: After several frustrated attempts in the Paraíba do Sul River, the fishermen, having lost hope, made a prayer to Our Lady. Upon casting their net again, they brought up the body of a terracotta image of the Virgin Mary (of the Immaculate Conception), but without its head.
3. The Complete Image: They cast the net once more, and this time, they found the head of the image.
4. The Miracle: After joining the two parts, and as a sign that the prayer had been answered, they cast the net and returned with an abundant quantity of fish, more than they could carry. The title "Aparecida" derives precisely from the way the image appeared in the waters.

The Growth of Devotion

• The Small Chapel: The image was kept by Felipe Pedroso in his home, where people began to gather to pray. The growing devotion led to the construction of oratories and, finally, a larger chapel in 1745.
• The "Morenita": The image is notable for its dark color ("morena"), caused by the clay and the time it remained in the river. This detail made it a symbol of inclusion and hope for all social classes, especially for the poorest and enslaved.
• The Patroness: Given its immense popularity, in 1929, Pope Pius XI declared her the Principal Patroness of Brazil.
• The National Basilica: The current Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida is the largest Marian sanctuary in the world and was consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

The feast of Our Lady of Aparecida is celebrated annually on October 12, gathering millions of pilgrims at the National Shrine.