Faith, tradition, and gratitude mark the 328th Círio in Vigia de Nazaré
Thousands of devotees took to the narrow streets of the historic city in northeastern Pará to show their devotion to Our Lady of Nazaré
The faith and devotion to Our Lady of Nazaré took over the narrow and historic streets of Vigia de Nazaré, a municipality in northeastern Pará, about 100 kilometers from Belém. This Sunday (14), devotees experienced the 328th edition of the Círio, the oldest one held in Pará. Thousands of people participated in the pilgrimage, which left from the Parish of São Sebastião and headed towards the Mother Church of Madre de Deus, which was handed over by the Government of Pará in December of last year, fully restored and revitalized.
Governor Helder Barbalho participated in the religious event. For him, "it is a privilege to be in the streets of Vigia de Nazaré this Sunday, to thank Her together with the devotees of Mary and to ask that She continue blessing all the homes of this city, all families, and blessing the State of Pará, as Queen of the Amazon, so that all of us Christians, devotees of Mary, can have Her blessings, have peace, happiness, health, fraternity, and unity among all."
Also present at the Festivity, Vice Governor Hana Ghassan emphasized the historical importance of the pilgrimage, which expresses the faith of the people of Pará. "Here is one of the most traditional círios in the history of Pará, and it is very good for us to be part of it, to live this moment. I want to wish all the homes of Vigia much peace, unity, and health, and that we can, united, grow more and more in the faith of Mary," declared Hana Ghassan.
The Círio de Nazaré in Vigia has characteristics similar to that of Belém, such as the rope held by the promise-makers that pulls the carriage with the Image of Mary. Along the route, the Virgin of Nazaré is honored with fireworks, confetti rain, and small altars set up in front of houses by the residents.
Solidarity and fraternity - The Nazaré guard Sandro Farias has been volunteering at the Círio for 27 years. Before the procession, he helped distribute porridge and coffee to the other guards and also to the promise-makers of the rope. Emotionally, he said that "it is a love that comes from above, that only we know how much it strengthens us more and more every day."
Driver Paulo Augusto Rodrigues was one of the promise-makers of the rope. For 38 years, this has been his way of thanking the Virgin of Nazaré for his mother's health. "My mother was unable to walk for a while. I made a promise to Our Lady that if she walked again, I would be here to thank," he said.
"Faith is very strong, and it strengthens even more each year. It is something inexplicable. The faith that our family has, and that I have, is very great. I pray a lot for God to give us a better world, for my children," the devotee added.
In 2025, the Festivity of the Círio in Vigia de Nazaré has the theme "With Mary, we are pilgrims of hope," and continues until September 29, with mass celebrations, cultural programming, and other pilgrimages, including the Youth pilgrimage on the 19th and the Children's Círio on the 21st.
