Our Lady of Aparecida, also known as ‘Our Lady Who Appeared’, appeared to three fishermen Domingos Garcia, Filipe Pedroso, and João Alves as they were unsuccessfully fishing in the Paraiba River in Brazil.
This was on the morning of October 12, 1717. After finding the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, they caught so many fish.
Filipe Pedroso placed that statue in his small house and when news spread out about that miracle his abode became a place of pilgrimage.
We celebrate this feast day on October 12 every year in the Catholic Church.
| Our Lady of Aparecida History Biography | |
|---|---|
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| Place of Occurrence | Brazil, South America |
| Feast Day | October 12 |
| Patron Saint of |
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Our Lady of Aparecida
In October of 1717, three fishermen in Brazil were tasked with providing fish for a banquet organized for Don Pedro de Almeida, Count of Assumar and Governor of the Province of São Paulo and Minas Gerais.
Don Pedro de Almeida was visiting the village of Guarantinguetá en route to the town of Vila Rica.
On October 12 1717, very early in the morning, the three fishermen namely Domingos Garcia, Filipe Pedroso, and João Alves went to the Paraiba River, which passed through the village, to harvest the fish. They tried for a very long time to catch fish without success.
When they were almost giving up, João Alves decided to try his luck one last time. When he cast his net into the river and began to draw it, he felt that his net had caught something. Upon looking, it was not fish but the wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, without the head.
He once more cast his net and caught something else. Upon pulling out the net, he found that he had caught the missing wooden head of the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Following his instincts to cast the net for the third time, he did so and caught so many fish. Domingos and Filipe also cast their nets and also caught so many fish.
When they went home, they all cleaned and reassembled the statue and Filipe kept it in his house. News of this miracle spread like a bushfire throughout the villages and many people began to visit the house to pray the Rosary and honour the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The people named Mary, “Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida,” meaning, Our Lady of the Appeared Conception.
After the number of pilgrims to that house became huge, it was evident that Filipe’s house was not enough to accommodate them.
The people built a small chapel and later in 1737 a bigger one was built. Many miracles were witnessed in the chapel by the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A new church was constructed from 1846 until it was completed in 1888. In 1904, Pope St Pius X instructed that the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida be crowned, and in 1930, Pope Pius XI declared Our Lady of Aparecida to be the Patroness of Brazil.
Pope St John Paul II was the first Pope to visit the Sanctuary of Aparecida when he visited Brazil in 1980.
Feast Day
We celebrate this feast day on October 12 every year in the Catholic Church.
Our Lady of Aparecida is the Patroness of
- Brazil and Brazilian people
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Aparecida, Brazil
- World Youth Day 2013
Other Catholic Saints whose Feast Days are in October
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