On Saturday, September 14, 2024, over 7,000 pilgrims from across the United States and Brazil gathered at the National Shrine to witness a historic moment: the dedication of the Oratory of Our Lady of Aparecida. In today’s post, we invite you to learn more about the history of the devotion, the dedication of the new oratory, and how the patroness of Brazil is now being honored at America’s Catholic Church.
The Origin of the Devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida
The devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida originated in a small town in Brazil over 300 years ago. According to Catholic tradition, on October 12, 1717, as the villagers of Guarantinguetá prepared to host a dinner for a visiting governor, they tasked three fisherman with catching the fish for the meal. That morning, Domingos Garcia, Filipe Pedroso, and João Alves cast off onto the Paraiba River with their nets in tow, ready to accomplish their mission. But after spending nearly an entire day fishing, they failed to get a single bite.
Before going ashore for the evening, João threw his net into the river again in desperation – and this time, it caught something. Tangled amidst the dripping ropes was not a fish, but a statue, broken at the neck. João lowered his net another time, and this time he brought up the statue’s missing head, revealing that it was a portrayal of Mother Mary. After this, each man let down his net once more, and they returned bursting with fish. It was a miracle!
The Devotion Grows
Upon returning home, the men washed and repaired the statue and displayed it in Filipe’s home. As other villagers heard the miraculous story of the statue and the fish, many came from far and wide to see it for themselves. Some of the visitors began calling the statue “Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida,” meaning: “Our Lady of the Appeared Conception.” Soon, so many people were coming to Felipe’s house at once that they no longer fit inside, so the villagers created a chapel for the statue.
Since that time, the devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida has grown in significance to the Brazilian people. Many miracles and graces have been attributed to Our Lady under this title, and the chapel became such a popular pilgrimage site that the statue had to be moved to a larger building on two additional occasions. The statue was eventually crowned by order of Pope St Pius X in 1904, and 26 years later, Our Lady of Aparecida was declared Patroness of Brazil by Pope Pius XI. Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Aparecida on October 12, in honor of the day the fishermen first discovered the statue.
The Dedication of the Oratory of Our Lady of Aparecida
The morning of the dedication, thousands of pilgrims of all ages gathered on the front steps of Mary’s Shrine wearing Our Lady of Aparecida shirts, waving Brazilian flags, and singing a host of Marian hymns in their native language as they excitedly awaited the arrival of hundreds more pilgrims who carried a statue of Our Lady of Aparecida in procession into the Basilica.
For Brazilians, this was a truly momentous occasion – their patroness was about to be enthroned in the United States for the very first time.
The Vice Provost of The Catholic University of America, Dr. Duilia de Mello, a native Brazilian and a key force in bringing Our Lady of Aparecida to the National Shrine, greeted the standing-room only congregation:
“Welcome to our celebration today! It is a great honor to receive each one of you who have come from many different places to make this pilgrimage to participate in this historic and deeply symbolic event for our different countries: Brazil and the United States.
This year we celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of bilateral relationships between our two countries; but this moment transcends this historic event. Today, the capital of the United States also becomes the home for the Patroness of Brazil. The enthronement of Our Lady of Aparecida in the [National Shrine] brings us even closer together. Beginning now, we have a very holy place to venerate her and deposit our prayers at her feet.
This enthronement is a living witness of our faith and an act of recognizing Our Lady of Aparecida as our own mother and queen.”
The morning’s recitation of the Rosary and communal prayer was followed by the Mass and dedication in the afternoon, all in Portuguese. Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, was the principal celebrant of the Mass, and Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, delivered the homily. Among the concelebrants of the Mass were Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the Archbishop of Washington and Chairman of the National Shrine Board of Trustees, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Bishop Fernando Lisboa of Brazil, Monsignor Walter Rossi, the Rector of the Basilica, and Monsignor Vito Buonanno, the Basilica’s Director of Pilgrimages.
Following the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the cardinals, bishops, and priests were led to the new oratory located across from the Our Lady of Fatima Oratory.
Upon arrival, Cardinal O’Malley said:
“It is with great joy that we gather here my brothers and sisters, to solemnly enthrone this image of Our Lady of Aparecida. This image shows how great and deep is the relationship of Our Blessed Mother with Christ and His Church.”
Leading a prayer of blessing followed by incensation, the new oratory was dedicated. After the Final Blessing of the Mass, it took hours for the thousands of pilgrims to capture their first glimpse of Our Lady of Aparecida now solemnly enthroned at the Basilica.
View the Mass and dedication for yourself at the link below!
Sources:
“Vice Provost Leads Effort to Install Marian Image from Brazil in National Basilica,” The Catholic University of America.
“Our Lady of Aparecida,” Vatican News.