Une Minute avec Marie
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A statue of Our Lady of Aparecida (Brazil) was inaugurated on Saturday, September 3, 2016 in the Vatican gardens in Rome, in the presence of Pope Francis. This is a joint initiative promoted by the Archbishop of Aparecida (Brazil) and the Brazilian Embassy to the Holy See. The statue represents a boat with three fishermen and a fishing net. Caught in the mesh is the statue of the Black Madonna of Aparecida.
The composition evokes the manner in which the original statue was found in 1717 in the Paraíba do Sul River (Brazil), by three fishermen, along with an abundant catch. Our Lady of Aparecida is the patron saint of the country, and Brazil will celebrate the three hundredth anniversary of her apparition in 2017.
Pope Francis has shown a strong devotion to the "Queen of Brazil" by dedicating his pontificate to her, shortly after his election, at the World Youth Day in Rio. The shrine of Aparecida is the largest Marian shrine of the world, with 7 million visitors a year. At the inauguration in the Vatican gardens, Pope Francis reiterated his wish to return to Aparecida: "I do not know if it will be possible, but at least here she will be a little closer!" |