The Círio of Our Lady of Nazaré

The Círio de Nossa Senhora de Nazaré is an event that brings generations together, promoting devotion among the people of Pará, with more than 2 million people taking part in this great manifestation of faith. We operate in the state of Pará, with more than 5,000 employees, and we recognize the importance of strengthening traditions and supporting communities. As an official sponsor of the Círio, we believe that together we can build a better future by preserving and celebrating its roots. Let's hear it for the Círio!

Círio de Nazaré - History Collaborator Ruanderson Cruz

We are very proud to be living the Círio de Nazaré with our employees from Pará. A tradition that guides our commitment to the state, respect for people, appreciation of culture, diversity and faith. Together, we build and strengthen our journey with Pará. Discover the story of faith of our employee Ruanderson Silva and his family.

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Círio de Nazaré - History Collaborator Willame Gomes

A tribute to the Círio of Our Lady of Nazaré, worthy of applause! Artist Willame Gomes, a contributor to Grupo BBF, shares his artistic journey inspired by the biggest manifestation of faith in Belém, in the state of Pará, with the work "Palmas pro Círio".

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The History of the Círio of Our Lady of Nazaré

Discover the main stories from 1653 to the present day.

1653

The devotion to Our Lady of Nazareth began with the Jesuit priests in the town of Vigia de Nazaré, in the northeast of the state of Pará.

1700

Plácido José de Souza finds the image of Our Lady of Nazaré do Desterro on the banks of the Igarapé Murutucu. After several mysterious apparitions, the governor orders the construction of the Church of Nazareth on the site.

1773

Dom João Evangelista Pereira decided to send the image to Portugal to be refurbished. At the same time, he asked Queen Maria I and Pope Pius VI for official permission to hold a festival in honor of Our Lady of Nazareth.

1792

Captain General Francisco Coutinho fell ill, promised to look for the image and held a night procession on September 8, marking the first Círio. The next day, the image was taken to the hermitage, making the festival official.

1882

Bishop Macedo Costa had a carriage built for the image, allowing it to be transported more safely, replacing the previous method of manual transportation.

1885

The "Círio rope" appears. The float gets bogged down in one of Belém's muddy streets and a shopkeeper lends a rope so that the faithful can pull it. The object then became part of the Círio tradition.

1969

Fearing damage to the original image, the Catholic Church created the Pilgrim Image as a replica of the original, used in pilgrimages and official visits, with the status of Head of State conferred by state law in Pará.

2004

The Círio de Nazaré has been awarded the title of Intangible Cultural Heritage by Iphan (National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute).

2013

Sunday's procession reached a record 2.1 million participants, according to the Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies (Dieese) in Pará. In the same year, the Círio de Nazaré is declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

2020

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the pilgrim image is flown over Bethlehem by helicopter, adapting the pilgrimages to the health rules, while some of the faithful hold an impromptu procession through the streets of the city.

2023

With great joy, Grupo BBF is supporting and sponsoring the Círio de Nossa de Nazaré for the first time. We operate in the state of Pará, with more than 5,000 employees, and we recognize the importance of strengthening traditions and supporting communities.

Our hubs

Acará

Communities made the journey on foot from Acará to Belém. About 120 kilometers were covered by the pilgrims in a great manifestation of faith.

Bethlehem

Our more than five thousand employees collected water for voluntary donation on the day of the Círio. The action showed the commitment of our workers, solidarity and a sense of gratitude to Our Lady of Nazareth.

Concórdia do Pará

During the preparations for this year's Círio, around 15,000 devotees of Our Lady of Nazaré took part in the Círio in Concórdia do Pará. Our employees were on hand to support the local community and distribute water to the pilgrims taking part in the procession.

Moju

According to the religious calendar, the festival traditionally takes place 50 days after Easter and this year the municipality was treated to a visit from Our Lady of Nazareth. To accompany the procession, thousands of the municipality's faithful traveled to the capital Belém/PA on the second Sunday of October.

Tomé-Açu

According to the Archdiocese of Belém/PA, in addition to the Círio in Belém in 2023, another 15 Círios have been planned in inland municipalities. In the municipality of Tomé-Açu, the Círio took place in September, the month before the great manifestation of faith of the Círio de Nazaré. On the second Sunday in October, thousands of Tomeaçuenses made their way to the capital of Pará.