Aparecida: Miraculous Statue, Miracles, Sanctuary, Prayers
From a statue of the Virgin Mary found in a river by simple fishermen to the largest Marian sanctuary in the world, the story of Our Lady of Aparecida and her miracles is more than astonishing. Here, it is not Marian apparitions that are the origin of the great devotion of the Brazilian people, but the surprising discovery of a miraculous statue.
Queen and patron saint of Brazil, Our Lady of Aparecida has established herself in the religious sphere in an exceptional way, thanks to the devotions rendered to her and the miracles of very different natures that she has performed. Beyond her importance for believers, she is fully part of the roots of the Brazilian people, who do not hesitate to call upon her in difficult times.
Our Lady of Aparecida is celebrated on October 12, she is the protector of pregnant women, newborns, rivers, and seas.
History of the Miraculous Statue
Everything began on October 12, 1717, near the small town of Guaratinguetá in Brazil, when a group of three fishermen (Domingo Garcia, João Alves, and Filipe Pedroso) found a statue of the Virgin in the Paraíba River. They first caught the body of the statue, and then, casting their net again, they found the head, which fit perfectly with the body. The three men continued to fish, and that day, the catch was exceptionally abundant. However, for some time, the fishing had been poor, and the three men had been praying for fish. It is said that after finding the statue, they caught so much fish that they had to return to the port to unload their catch gradually. This is the first miracle attributed to Our Lady of Aparecida (a name meaning "the one who appeared"), as the fishermen, having their prayers answered, saw in the statue a clear sign of the Virgin's intercession.
The statue is made of terracotta and measures 36 cm. It represents a black Virgin (hence another of her names), pregnant, with her hands joined in a posture of prayer.
The wife of one of the fishermen repaired the statue, and another fisherman, Filipe Pedrosa, took it home and built a small altar for it. Immediately, the neighbors began to come and pray the Rosary before the Virgin, who remained in his home for 15 years before his son built a first oratory in Itaguaçú.
From that moment on, many miracles began to manifest, and the fame of Our Lady of Aparecida spread. The statue was moved to a private chapel built by the vicar of Guaratinguetá and opened on July 26, 1745. Later, the Church gave its official recognition, authorized the cult, and built the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida, which was expanded several times.
Miracles
Thousands of miracles are attributed to Our Lady of Aparecida, testifying to her powerful intercession in prayers and requests: healings, liberations, conversions: there is no area in which Our Lady of Aparecida has not personally intervened. The many miracles are recounted in writings and authentic chronicles of the time (those of Father Vilela in 1743 or those of the Jesuits in 1748).
The Miracle of the Candles
After the miraculous and abundant fishing, the second miracle attributed to Our Lady of Aparecida occurred when some faithful were gathered around the statue praying the Rosary. The candles went out by themselves and without reason, then relit shortly after on their own. This miracle of the candles happened several times afterward. There were other divine manifestations that only confirmed the veneration of the Black Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.
The Miracle of Princess Isabel
On December 8, 1868, during the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Princess Isabel, who was sterile, participated in the celebrations and asked for the grace of having an heir. As a testimony of her devotion, she offered a magnificent blue embroidered mantle for the statue. Later, she gave birth to three sons and offered a golden crown to the Virgin in gratitude.
The Sudden Conversion of the Knight
A horseman was passing by the Basilica, mocking the faithful gathered in prayer. He tried to enter the building with his horse, but it was impossible as the horse's hoof got stuck. He had to dismount and was immediately converted upon entering the sanctuary.
The Freed Slave
In 1850, a slave named Zacarias asked to pray before the statue of the Virgin. Having obtained permission, he began to pray. As soon as he knelt, his chains opened, freeing him from his role as a slave.
Sanctuary
Faced with the growing radiance of Our Lady of Aparecida and the increasing devotion of the faithful, who came from far and wide in ever greater numbers to venerate the statue, it became necessary to welcome the pilgrims in a larger and more suitable place. In 1934, the Church began the construction of a first Basilica, which was completed on December 8, 1888, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
On September 8, 1904, the statue of the Virgin was adorned with a crown of jewels offered by Princess Isabel, as well as a white mantle richly embroidered with gold and set with precious stones. Our Lady of Aparecida was recognized on this occasion as Queen and powerful protector. Shortly after, the Holy Father granted the sanctuary the offices of the Holy Mass in honor of Our Lady of Aparecida, as well as indulgences for pilgrims. The church became a basilica on April 29, 1908, and it was consecrated in 1909.
In 1930, Our Lady of Aparecida became the Queen and Patron Saint of Brazil, by a decree of the Pope, following the unprecedented increase in the number of pilgrims to the place of worship.
Thus, in 1955, the construction of a new, even larger Basilica began. The architect Benedicto Calixto imagined a building in the shape of a cross, surmounted by a high dome. In June 1980, Pope John Paul II consecrated the Basilica and declared it the largest Marian sanctuary in the world.
Prayers
Excerpt from the prayer of Pope Saint John Paul II in the Basilica of Aparecida on July 4, 1980
« Our Lady of Aparecida!
Woman revealed by God to crush the head of the serpent, in your Immaculate Conception! Chosen from all eternity to be the Mother of the Eternal Word, who at the angel's announcement was conceived in your virginal womb as the Son of Man and true man!
Mary! I greet you and say "Ave" to you in this sanctuary, where the Church of Brazil loves you, venerates you, and invokes you as Aparecida, the one who was revealed and given to them in a special way! As their mother and patroness! As mediatrix and advocate with your Son, of whom you are the mother!
O Mother! Make the Church a sacrament of salvation and a sign of the unity of all men, brothers and sisters by adoption of your Son and children of the Heavenly Father.
O Mother! Make this Church, following the example of Christ, by constantly serving man, defend all men, especially the poor and needy, the marginalized and the deprived.
Make the Church of Brazil always serve justice among men and contribute at the same time to the common good of all and to social peace.
O Mother! Open the hearts of men and make all understand that only in the spirit of the Gospel and by observing the commandment of love and the Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount will it be possible to build a more human world, in which the dignity of all men will truly be valued.
O Mother! Give to the Church, which from this land of Brazil has accomplished in the past a great work of evangelization and whose history is rich in experiences, to carry out its task today with new zeal and new love for the mission it has received from Christ.
Grant it for this purpose many priestly and religious vocations so that all the people of God may benefit from the ministry of the dispensers of the Eucharist and the witnesses of the Gospel.
O Mother! Welcome into your heart all the families of Brazil! Protect them all!
Do not cease, O Virgin of Aparecida, by your very presence, to manifest on this earth that love is stronger than death, more powerful than sin!
Do not cease to show us God, who so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life! Amen »
Pray to the Virgin Mary with Hozana!
Not everyone can go to Brazil, to the feet of the statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, but our Mother in Heaven listens to all the prayers of her children and answers them from every corner of the Earth!
Let us pray with confidence and
!- so that she may intercede for them.
Let us respond to the request of the Holy Virgin by
!
