The city of Crato, in northeastern Brazil, inaugurated this Thursday the world’s largest statue dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima, a monumental work that rises to 54 meters in height, equivalent to a fifteen-story building. The new monument, visible from much of the region, seeks to express the deep Marian devotion that characterizes the local population and consolidate the place as a pilgrimage site.
The sculpture, built with a polyurethane core and an outer coating of fiberglass and resin, was made in parts and assembled in Crato like a large three-dimensional puzzle. Its creation required one year and five months of work and the participation of more than thirty professionals. In parallel, a new sanctuary was built, which includes services for pilgrims and a replica of the Chapel of the Apparitions of Fatima, in Portugal.
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A work to renew the call for peace
During the inauguration ceremony, which brought together thousands of faithful, the bishop of Crato, Magnus Henrique Lopes, highlighted the spiritual significance of the project.
“Our Lady of Fatima calls for conversion and prayer for world peace”, he stated. He also recalled that the search for peace “begins in the heart”, and that Marian devotion can strengthen the inner life of the faithful.
Local and national authorities also participated in the event. The Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, emphasized that the monument invites reflection in a world in need of tolerance and fraternity.
A bond built over seven decades
The devotion to Our Lady of Fatima in Crato is not recent. It began in 1953, when the city first received the pilgrim image sent from Portugal. That event gathered multitudes and gave rise to a strong Marian tradition. Shortly after, the cathedral of Crato received a replica of the original image from the Chapel of the Apparitions, further strengthening the bond with the Portuguese sanctuary.
Over the years, parishes under this invocation were erected and various public spaces were named in honor of the Virgin. In 2014, the city inaugurated a 44-meter statue, then the largest in the country, but its design generated criticism and the desire arose to replace it with a more faithful image.
The sculptor: faith, pain, and vocation
The person responsible for the new work is the Brazilian sculptor Ranilson Viana, 38 years old. Born in a humble environment and raised by his maternal grandparents, Viana discovered his artistic vocation in difficult circumstances. He made his first sculpture to obtain resources while awaiting the birth of his first child, who died shortly after.
That pain—as he explains—helped him recognize the path he was called to.
“Working on this piece was for me a form of prayer in motion”, Viana stated to the National Catholic Register. His grandmother, a great devotee of Our Lady of Fatima, decisively influenced his faith and religious sensitivity. The sculptor assures that various people have told him how his works have transformed their lives, reinforcing his desire for sacred art to bring others closer to God.
A project accompanied from Fatima
The rector of the Fatima Sanctuary in Portugal, Father Carlos Cabecinhas, expressed his admiration for Marian devotion in Brazil and confirmed that he supported the project from the beginning. He indicated that he hopes to visit the monument soon.
For the inauguration, the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Fatima returned to Crato more than 70 years after its first visit, reinforcing the symbolism of the moment.