October 11, 2020: Celebration in honor of Our Lady Aparecida in Sant’Andrea della Valle
Rome is one of those eternally fascinating cities. All roads intersect in this metropolis, which will never cease to be Caput mundi. For the same reason, we should not be surprised that so many faithful Christians, from different latitudes, gather in the City par excellence. In this way, members of the Brazilian community in Rome decided to celebrate the Patroness of Brazil, Our Lady Aparecida, in our Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle.
Certainly it was a beautiful occasion to renew our Marian devotion and rejoice with the large presence of a group of faithful who try to preserve their Catholic culture and, by preserving it, open it to the participation of people of other traditions. We share below the chronicle made by Deacon João Víctor Dos Santos Silva, CR, who is part of the General Theatine House of Sant’Andrea della Valle and, being of Brazilian origin, has taken part in the celebration to which we are referring .
As every year, the Brazilian community in Rome gathers to celebrate its patron N. Sra. Aparecida.
This time it was our Basilica to welcome this celebration, the last 11/10 at 17:00.
In fact, a larger church was sought, which could accommodate – while respecting health standards – a greater number of faithful. Presided over by Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, the celebration took place in Portuguese, with a rhythm and spirit typical of the Brazilian pololo. The songs, popular among the people, animated the mass, which was also broadcast live.
In his homily, Archbishop João, quoting the words of Pope Francis, recalled that the meeting of the statue of Mary with the “black skin” on the Paraiba River, thanks to the support of three poor fishermen, in a time of great division between slaves blacks and white bosses, it was a very strong sign that God is on the side of those who suffer most. We thank the prayers and closeness of all, that Mary, Our Lady of Aparecida, may be for us a reason for unity and fraternity.
