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Festival of Our Lady Aparecida Our Lady Aparecida, Festival ofOctoberBrazil's patron saint, the Virgin Mary Aparecida ("she who has appeared"), is honored with a 10-day festival in the city near São Paulo that bears her name. Legend has it that after a poor day's catch, fishermen cast their nets into the Paraiba do Sul River and pulled up a small statue of the Virgin Mary, carved out of black wood. When they cast their nets again, they came up full of fish. This was the first miracle attributed to the saint, and the city of Aparecida with its beautiful church built to house the statue is now the destination of many pilgrimages. Nossa Senhora de Aparecida is celebrated during the month of October, but the 12th is a legal public holiday in Brazil to honor the saint. CONTACTS: Brazilian Embassy 3006 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008 202-238-2700; fax: 202-238-2827 www.brasilemb.org
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