Parecida

Parecida, typically written as Aparecida in Portuguese, is a Brazilian toponym and religious reference. The most widely known referents are the municipality of Aparecida in the state of São Paulo and Nossa Senhora da Aparecida, the patron saint of Brazil, venerated by Catholics.

The municipality of Aparecida is located in the eastern part of São Paulo state, in the Vale do Paraíba region near the Paraíba do Sul river. The town is dominated by the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida, a major pilgrimage site that shapes the local economy through religious tourism and services for visitors.

The name Aparecida derives from the Portuguese aparecida, meaning appeared or appeared to. The devotion centers on the image of Our Lady of Aparecida, a dark sculpture believed by Catholics to have appeared in the Paraíba do Sul river in the early 18th century. Devotion to Our Lady of Aparecida led to the establishment of the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, a primary sanctuary for Brazilian Catholic worship and a focal point for national Marian devotion.

Culturally and religiously, Our Lady of Aparecida is regarded as the patron saint of Brazil, with October 12 celebrated as her feast day and observed as a day of national significance in some contexts. The sanctuary complex hosts millions of pilgrims annually and is one of the largest Catholic church complexes in the region, reflecting the enduring importance of Marian devotion in Brazilian religious life.

The toponym Aparecida also appears in other Brazilian places, such as Aparecida de Goiânia in Goiás, illustrating the broader use of the name across the country.