🙏 Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida
Brazil
About This Sacred Site
The Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida is the second-largest Catholic church in the world (after St. Peter's in Rome), capable of holding 45,000 worshippers. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's patron saint — a small terracotta statue of the Virgin Mary that was pulled from the Paraíba River by fishermen in 1717. According to tradition, after the fishermen found the headless statue and then its head, their nets miraculously filled with fish. Miracles continued to be attributed to the statue, and a cult of devotion grew rapidly. The current basilica, completed in 1980, receives more pilgrims than any other Catholic shrine except the Vatican. October 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Aparecida, is a national holiday in Brazil.
Key Facts
- •Second-largest Catholic church in the world, holding 45,000 worshippers
- •The statue was found by fishermen in the Paraíba River in 1717
- •October 12 (Feast of Our Lady of Aparecida) is a national holiday in Brazil
- •Receives more pilgrims than any Catholic shrine except the Vatican
- •Pope Francis visited in 2013 during World Youth Day in Brazil
Location
Coordinates: -22.8517, -45.2303
Related Holy Sites
⛪Vatican City (St. Peter's Basilica)
The spiritual center of Roman Catholicism and home of the Pope.
✝️Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The site where Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.
💧Lourdes (Sanctuary of Our Lady)
Where the Virgin Mary appeared 18 times, famous for miraculous healings.
🐚Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
The destination of the Camino de Santiago, one of the world's greatest pilgrimages.
✨Sanctuary of Fátima
Where three shepherd children witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1917.
🌹Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The most visited Catholic shrine in the world, housing the miraculous tilma.