Appropriation of senses in the legitimation of devotion space to Our Lady of Aparecida

Abstract

The article seeks to discuss the faith and the magnitude that the Image of Nossa Senhora has through the vision of the individuals involved in the Tricentenary event of the Image encounter, promoted in 2017 by the Aparecida’s National Sanctuary, one of the places of expression of the Marian cult in Brazil. It uses a cut of the fieldwork of the master’s research of one of the authors and aims to analyze the devotional manifestations, the meanings that the space built around the small Image excites, and the involvement of the individuals in the Jubilee Celebrations of the 300 “years of blessing.” The data collection was done through the observation of devotional practices and semi-structured interviews during the Nossa Senhora Aparecida’s Party, which allowed hear and analyze reports that portrayed the importance of the worship, it is spaces and their devotional practices and the identification of Brazilian people with an important part of Marian’s universe. The tributes paid in this holy place are demonstrations of identification of a people who honor the virgin as Mother, Queen, and Brazil Patroness. Also, can say that, for the interviewees, Mary takes the place of perfection and mediator model, having an essential role in the salvation of human history. For them, the sacred manifests in the religiosity practice in the Sanctuary and the Virgin Mary would endorse a universe of religious beliefs and practices disseminated by the Catholic Church, but not without transformation.