Events
Lady of Aparecida Day (Brazil)
Our Lady of Aparecida Day honors Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil. The day commemorates the 1717 discovery of a small clay statue of the Virgin Mary by fishermen in the Paraíba River, which became a symbol of hope and faith. Over centuries, devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida grew into one of Brazil’s most cherished traditions. Millions of pilgrims visit the Basilica of the National Shrine of Aparecida, one of the largest churches in the world, to pay tribute.
Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis
The Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis commemorates the day in 2013 when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, becoming the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to take the name Francis.