Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida

OURS LADY APARECIDA

Historical Description.

The Image of Ours Lady Aparecida, was found in the river Paraíba in the second fortnight of October of 1717, is of terracotta, that is clay that, after shaped, is stew in appropriate oven, measuring 40 centimetres of height.

Hypothetically, it would have, originally polychrome, as it was custom at the time, but it does not have documents that they prove. When it was fished, the body was separate of the head and, very probably, without the original polychrome, had to the years where it was dived in waters and the silt of the river.
The cinnamon colour with that today it is known, it must it the fact be had been displayed, during years, to soot of the flames of the candles and the oil lamps. Its style is seventeen century, as they certify some specialists who had studied it.

Between that they confirm to be the Image of Century XVII is the Dr. Pedro de Oliveira Ribeiro Grandson, Benedictine Monk's of the monastery of Salvador, Bahia, Don Clemente da Silva Nigra and Don Paulo Lachenmayer.

Finally, in 1978, after the attempted against one that it almost reduces it in two hundred fragments, was directed to Prof. Pietro Maria Bardi - at the time managing of the Museum of Art of Sao Paulo - that examined 'She' together with the Dr. João Marinho, collector of Brazilian images.

The image was totally reconstituted by the Maria Helena Chartuni plastic artist, at the time, restorative of the Museum of Art of São Paulo. Still as studies of the mentioned connoisseurs, the Image was moulded with clay of the region of Santana do Parnaíba, situated in the neighbour Great São Paulo (capital).

Most difficult it was to determine the author of the small image therefore it is not signed or dated. Thus, after a comparative study, the connoisseurs had arrived at the conclusion to that if he dealt with a sculptor, disciple of Benedictines Monk's Brother Augustinho of the Mercy, and also its colleague of Order, Brother Augustinho de Jesus.

They characterised its style: smiling form of the lips, ‘raised’ chin, having in the centre one little cove; hairdo, flowers in relief in the hair, pin of three pearls in the forehead and straight posture stops backwards.

All these details if find in the Image of Ours Lady Aparecida, and, therefore, they had concluded the connoisseurs, Dom Clemenente da Silva Nigra and Dom Pablo Lachenmayer, who the Image was sculptured by Benedictines Monk's Brother Augustinho de Jesus.

Crown and Mantle.

From September 8th of 1904, when it was crowned, the image started to use, officially, the crown offered for the Isabel Princess, in 1884, as well as the blue-marine mantle.

(Source of consultation: a)Book "the Message of Ours Lady Aparecida", author Father Júlio J. Brustoloni CSsR -); b) Information given for the restorative of the Image, plastic artist Maria Helena Chartuni)

History of the Image of Ours Lady Aparecida

(Ours Lady of the Immaculate Conception Appeared)

The history of Ours Lady Aparecida has its beginning around 1717, when the notice of that arrived the Count of the Assumar, Don Pedro de Almeida e Portugal, Governor of the Province of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, it would go to pass for the Village of Guaratinguetá, the way of Vila Rica, today city of Ouro Preto.

Convoked for the Chamber of Guaratinguetá, the fishing Domingos Garcia, Filipe Pedroso and João Alves had left the search fish in the River Paraíba. They had gone down the river and nothing they had obtained. After many attempts without success, they had arrived at the Itaguaçu Port.

João Alves launched the net in waters and “fished” the body of an image of Ours Lady Aparecida without the head. He launched the net again and he ‘fished’ the head of the same image. From there in the fish they had ahead arrived in abundance for the three humble fishing.

During 15 years followed, the image was with the family of Pilipe Pedroso, who took it for house, where the people of the neighbourhood if congregated to pray. The devotion was growing in the way it people and many favours had been reached for that they prayed the image ahead.
The fame of them to be able extraordinary of Ours Lady was if spreading for the regions of Brazil. The family constructed an oratory, which soon became small. For 1734 return, the Vicar of Guaratinguetá constructed a Chapel in the high one of the Mount of the Coconut palms, opened to the public visitation in July 26th of 1745.

But the number of the faithful increased. And in 1834 the construction of a bigger church was initiated (current Old Basilica).

In the year of 1894, a group of priests and brothers of the Congregation of the   Redemptorist Missionaries arrives to Aparecida, to work in the attendance to the pilgrims that was a refugee to the feet of the Virgin Mary to pray with the Lady "Appeared" in the waters.
At September 8th of 1904, the Image of Ours Lady of the Conception Appeared was crowned, solemnly, for Don José Camargo Barros at April 29th of 1908, the church received the heading from Minor Basilica.
Twenty years later, the December 17th of 1928, the village that if it around forms of the church in the high one of the Mount of the Coconut palms became City. And, in 1929, Ours Lady was proclaimed QUEEN of BRAZIL and its OFFICIAL PATRONESS, for determination of Pope Pious the XI.


With passing of the time, the devotion Ours Lady of the Conception Appeared was growing and the number of pilgrims was increasing each time more. The first Basilica became small.

The construction of another temple was necessary, bigger enough that could accommodate as many pilgrims. For initiative of the redemptorist missionaries and the Gentlemen Bishops, the construction of one another church, current New Basilica had beginning in November 11th of 1955.

In 1980, still today in construction, was consecrated by the Pope John Paul II and received the heading from Minor Basilica.

In 1984, the National Conference of the Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) declared the Basilica of National Aparecida: Sanctuary officially; "biggest Mariano’s Sanctuary of the world".

First miracles of the Ours Lady Aparecida

The Priest Francisco of the Silveira, that wrote the chronicle of a Mission carried through in Appeared in 1748, characterised the image of the Virgin Appeared as "famous for the many carried through miracles". E added that numerous they were the pilgrims who came of long distances to thank the received miracles. We mention here three great prodigies occurred for intercession of Ours Lady Aparecida.

The first prodigy, without a doubt some, was fishes it abundant that it was followed to the meeting of the image. It does not have other references on the fact not to be that one of the narrative of the finding of the image: "E, continuing would fish it, having until then does not catch fish some, from there for ahead was so abundant fishes it, that distrustful to be shipwrecked for the much fish that they had in the canoes, the fishing if had removed its houses, admired with what occurs."

However, most symbolic and rich of significant, without a doubt, it was the miracle of the candles for its close relation with the faith. It happened in the primitive oratory of the Itaguaçu, when the people if found in conjunct ahead of the image.

In a night, during the prayer of rosary, the candles had been erased suddenly and without reason, therefore it did not blow in the occasion. She had astonishment between the worshippers and, when Silvana of the Rock looked for to light them again, they had lit themselves for it, prodigiously.

Significant also he is the prodigy of the chains that if had freed of the hands of a slave, when this begged the protection of Lady Aparecida. Many verbal versions exist on the fact. Some are rich in details. The first one to mention it for writing was the Priest Clearly Francisco de Vasconcelos, in 1828.

It miraculous fishes

The Administrative Chamber of Guaratinguetá decided and ready. The time was not favourable to would fish but the fishing that if they turned. The Count had that to prove of the fish of the river Paraíba.

And the invocation was chore in all the roundness. João Alves, Domingos Garcia and Pilipe Pedroso, inhabitants of Itaguaçu, had caught its boats, its nets and if they had launched in the difficult task. They had rowed the night all without anything to fish.

In the Port of Itaguaçu, they had launched the nets one more time. João Alves felt that its net weighed. They will be fish? It pulled it. Not. They were not fish. It was the body of an image. But... and the head, where was? It kept the finding in the deep one of the boat. They had continued trying to find fish.

In the net, suddenly, the same fisherman, a blackish head of image. João Alves caught the body of the deep one of the boat and approached it of the head, and, exactly! That one it only could be miracle. They had been made the sign of cross and they rolled pieces in a cloth. They had continued would fish it. Now the fish ‘knew’ straight the address of its nets. E had been as much that had feared for the fragility of the boats...

The miracle of the candles

Later that they had arrived of would fish where they had found you, Filipe Pedroso took the image for its house conserving it during 5 years.

When of its change for the quarter Alto da Ponte he gave to the image its son Athanásio Pedroso who lived well in the Porto do Itaguaçu close to where its father Filipe Pedroso, João Alves and Sundays Garcia had found the image.

Athanásio made a wooden altar and placed the Miraculous Image of Lady Aparecida. The neighbours, at Saturdays its congregated to pray one rosary in its devotion. In certain occasion, when praying rosary, 2 candles if had erased in the altar of Ours Lady, what he was very strange, therefore that night were very calm and it did not have reason for the event.

Silvana of the Rock, that in the day followed rosary, looked to light the candles, however, the same ones if had lit without that nobody touched them, as a perfect miracle. Of this date in ahead the Miraculous Image of Ours Lady Aparecida left to belong to the family of Filipe Pedroso to be belonging to all us, worshippers of the Miraculous powerful Saint.  

Officials Fount: www.santuarionacional.com.br