Title was granted during the period in which the 416th anniversary of Nossa Senhora da Purificação Parish is celebrated

The Catholic faithful of the Recôncavo Bahia region are celebrating. The Parish of Our Lady of Purification was elevated, by Pope Francis, to the category of Minor Basilica, becoming the first of this in the interior of Bahia. The announcement was made last Friday (18). The title was granted during the period in which the 416th anniversary of Nossa Senhora da Purificação Parish is celebrated.

“The title of Minor Basilica is conferred by the Pope on churches of special liturgical, pastoral and historical relevance. This title represents a closer link with the Vatican and grants liturgical privileges that strengthen the parish’s connection with the Pope and the Church”, he explains a post from the Basilica on social media. “In addition, the Basilica becomes a reference place for pilgrimages, having specific rights and responsibilities in divine worship”, he adds.

The statement was read during a celebratory mass, last Sunday (20), led by Father Raimundo Mário de Santana, responsible for reading the official document sent by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments to Bishop Dom Antônio Tourinho Neto .

The elevation request was requested in 2020. A team made up of at least 17 people, led by Father Raimundo Mário de Santana, prepared all the detailed photographic records of the sacred images, liturgical objects and the church itself.

“With dedication, the inscribed document was sent to the Vatican, which subsequently requested more information, which was promptly responded to. […] Today, we rejoice in this double celebration: our parish, now the Minor Basilica, and the 416 years of its canonical erection, a gift that deeply marks our faith and devotion, with the blessing of Pope Francis”, he describes.

Derived from the Greek ‘basiliké’, synonymous with nobility, the term describes churches “with a special value for the Catholic church”. The minor basilica is characterized by being a place of devotion and pilgrimage. The title allows specific religious celebrations to take place in the relevant church.