The tomb that weeps and the faith that gathers

A cemetery miracle worker in Londrina, Brazil

Abstract

José Osvaldo Schietti, who died in 1950 at the age of eight, is venerated as a miracle worker at the São Pedro Municipal Cemetery in Londrina, Paraná State. This study analyzes the development of devotion to him and the popular Catholicism surrounding his grave, including practices such as prayers, rituals, offerings, and ex-votos. The qualitative research involves bibliographic review, documentary analysis, and photographic records. The sacralization of the space is observed through flowers, candles, and supplications, revealing its religious and cultural significance. Devotion to this popularly sanctified figure highlights non-institutionalized Catholicism and its role in collective memory. These rituals demonstrate how everyday faith anchors itself in community-recognized figures, reinforcing symbolic bonds and sustaining a tradition outside official religious channels.