Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida

— October 12 is known in Brazil as the day to celebrate that nation’s patron saint. The story of Our Lady of Aparecida (in Portuguese, Nossa Senhora Aparecida) goes back to October 1717 when three fishermen, after being unsuccessful in catching fish, prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary to help them. In one of their attempts after throwing the net in the River Paraíba (São Paulo state), the fishermen caught a headless statue of the Virgin Mary. Later they also obtained the head of the statue. Legend says that after that, they netted plenty of fish. Upon cleaning the statue, they discovered the statue was a black version of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. A small chapel was built to house the statue. With the increased number of worshippers, a larger church began construction in 1834. Finally in 1955, a new and larger basilica began being built. That basilica received the Vatican approval only in 1980, when Pope John Paul II consecrated it and gave it the title of Basilica. The statue of Our Lady Aparecida (see below) is now housed in the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida (also below) in Aparecida, São Paulo, Brazil. It is also the largest Marian shrine in the world with an estimated capacity of 45,000 worshippers. It is an impressive structure built in the Romanesque style and with 190,000 sq ft (18,000 sq m) of space and a dome 230 ft (70 m) high. According to Guinness World Records, this is the third largest church in the world, after St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City and the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast. However, some people argue that Our Lady of Peace includes a rectory and a villa in its overall area. As for the statue itself, it is less than 3 ft (1 m) tall. Its origin is uncertain. Some believe it came from Portugal, while others think it was made by a monk in São Paulo. It is believed the image was made around 1650.