The Cathedral Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, in Aparecida, Brazil, is the country’s foremost Marian shrine and the second-largest Catholic church in the world by interior area, after St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It honors Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil’s patron saint, whose statue was miraculously found by fishermen in the Paraíba River in 1717.
The current basilica, designed by Benedito Calixto Neto in Romanesque Revival style, began construction in 1955 and can accommodate up to 100,000 people. It has the shape of a Greek cross, a dome 70 meters high, and a 109-meter tower. It features a wide range of infrastructure including medical services, accessibility, restaurants, a large shopping center, and parking for thousands of vehicles. The “Passarela da Fé” connects the old and new churches and is often traversed on knees by pilgrims.
Declared a basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and the archdiocesan cathedral in 2016, it has been visited by Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, each of whom has recognized the site’s significance. The shrine is a central symbol of Brazilian Catholicism and a powerful destination for pilgrimage, prayer, and national identity.
- Address
Av. Dr. Júlio Prestes, s/n – Centro, Aparecida – Brazil - Web
https://www.a12.com/shrine-of-our-lady-of-aparecida - Visiting Hours
Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Saturday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Sunday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM - What to see
Image of the Aparecida, chapels, bell tower, Caminho do Rosario
