Círio de Nazaré is a great religious festival begun in 1793, in Belém do Pará, which brings together thousands of romeiros and devotees from all regions of Brazil.
Popular legends surrounding the veneration of Our Lady of Nazareth in Brazil tell that a caboclo named Plácido, hunting on the road to Utinga, now known as Avenida Nazaré, found the image of the Lady among the rocks, took it home, and placed it on a small altar. The next day it was no longer there. Days later he returned to the same place to hunt and again found the image among the stones. He took it home again and once more the image disappeared from there, being found in the place where it was first discovered.
This story drew the attention of the governor of the Province of Grão-Pará, Dom Francisco de Souza Coutinho, who took the image to his palace. But again the image disappeared, going to its original place, among the stones.
Faced with so many mysterious disappearances, the governor ordered the construction of a chapel of rammed earth covered with straws at the site of its appearance, to where the image of Our Lady of Nazareth was conducted, with 30 centimeters high, a replica of the image that exists in Portugal.
This solemn event, held on September 8, 1793, began the first Círio de Nazaré (Nazareth’s procession), which moved from the Government Palace to the chapel built on the site of the appearance among the cliffs. The image was carried on the lap of the archpriest José Monteiro de Noronha, governor of the Bishopric, with much military array.
From this date, the Círio underwent many date changes within the Gregorian calendar. It is currently celebrated on the second Sunday of October.
Due to the large annual pilgrimages in worship of Our Lady of Nazareth, the local authorities rebuilt the chapel, building on the site a rectangular Roman-style Basilica, capable of receiving thousands of Catholics who will pay their respects to the virgin.
The festival begins on Sunday morning, with great popular concentration in front of the Cathedral, at Largo da Sé, where the mass leading up to the procession is celebrated, including a route of about four kilometers along the city.
For five days, the religious community participates in Via Crucis, baptisms, marriages, chrisms, blessings for the sick, and fulfillments of promises.
Popular celebrations with games, presentation of dance groups, craft fairs, and typical foods of the region happen in parallel to this ecumenical tribute.
Círio de Nazaré is a festival that reveres the faith and mysticism of the Christian people.
Recife, July 22, 2003.
sources consulted
ALVES, Luiz Antonio. O Círio de Nazaré. Cultura, Brasília, ano 6, n. 22, p. 16-23, jul./ set. 1976.
CÍRIO de Nazaré. Foto nesse texto. Disponível em: <http://professorrafaelporcari.com/2015/10/10/a-grande-festa-do-cirio-de-nazare/>. Acesso em: 2 ago. 2016.
how to quote this text
MACHADO, Regina Coeli Vieira. Círio de Nazaré In: Pesquisa Escolar. Recife: Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, 2003. Available at :https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/artigo/cirio-de-nazare/. Access on: month day year. (Ex.: Aug, 6 2020.)