Our Lady of Aparecida

Our Lady of Aparecida
Our Lady of Imaculate Conception of Aparecida
The original image enshrined in the central high altar.[1]
Queen and Patroness of Brazil
Venerated inCatholic Church
Major shrineBasilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil
FeastOctober 12[1]
AttributesMantle, crown, stars
PatronageBrazil and Brazilian people,[1] Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aparecida, World Youth Day 2013, expectant mothers, newborn children, rivers and the sea, gold, honey, beauty[2]
Controversy(1978) Theft and vandalism by Protestant intruder
(1995); Public insults and televised vandalism by a UCKG minister

Our Lady of Aparecida ("Our Lady appeared"), (Portuguese: Nossa Senhora Aparecida or Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida) is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the Immaculate Conception.

Her image, a clay statue, is widely venerated by Brazilian Catholics, who consider her as the principal patroness of Brazil.[1] Historical accounts state that the statue was originally found by three fishermen who miraculously caught many fish after invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary. The statue is currently housed in the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida in Aparecida, São Paulo, Brazil.

Colonial documents and papal bulls have referred to the image as Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida. The feast day of Our Lady Aparecida in the Roman Rite is on October 12, which is also a public holiday in Brazil since 1980. The building in which the image is venerated was granted the title of a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1980, and is the largest Marian shrine in the world,[3] being able to hold up to 45,000 worshippers.[4]

Controversy about the statue was ignited in May 1978 by an intruder who stole the clay statue, which was smashed as he was apprehended, from its shrine, and again in 1995, when an evangelical minister insulted and vandalized a copy of the statue on Brazilian national television, specifically on Rede Record, in what became known as the Chute na santa incident.

The following papal documents concern the famed statue:

  1. ^ a b c d Our Lady of Aparecida profile Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine at Patron Saints Index.
  2. ^ Our Lady of Aparecida profile Archived July 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine at the Mary of Nazareth Project.
  3. ^ Allen, John. "A look ahead to Benedict in Brazil". National Catholic Reporter. May 3, 2007
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference reuters was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ William Thomas (July 19, 2009). "Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil". Catholic Voice. CatholicVoice.ie. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
  6. ^ "4 July 1980, Mass in the Basilica of Aparecida | John Paul II".
  7. ^ "Papa Francisco concede terceira Rosa de Ouro ao Santuário Nacional". a12.com. Retrieved October 9, 2017.

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