Religion is a strong characteristic of the population of Santa Rita. Located in one of the city's central points, the main church of the Santa Rita de Jacutinga Parish is a beautiful building that stands out from the surrounding landscape as an imposing symbol of the faith of its people.
The site where the main church stands today was donated by Antônio Francisco de Mendonça and his wife Maria Vitória Ribeiro around 1832, when a chapel was built in honor of Santa Rita de Cássia. Over time, the chapel became too small to accommodate the faithful who came to thank or ask for favors from the saint.
With the need to expand the small temple, the founding families of the town donated land to the parish so that it could receive a main chapel worthy of its patron saint.
In 1835, the Gomes and Caetano families obtained authorization to build the main chapel. At the same time, Commander Francisco Teresiano Fortes (founder of the Santa Clara Farm), who had promised to build a church in the region, brought a large number of bricklayers, carpenters and construction materials to the site, but there was no consensus regarding the location of the main chapel.
The Commander wanted the chapel to be built facing north, where the local cemetery was already located, offering compensation for the services that had been performed, but his wish was not granted. In view of this, he left with his assistants (most of whom were his slaves) for Rio Preto, where he built the main church, whose patron saint is Nosso Senhor dos Passos.
By the 1950s, the chapel could no longer accommodate the population of Santa Catarina and the large number of faithful who visited it frequently. Soon, Father Francisco José Machado Filho (Father Machado) and his parishioners promoted the construction of the current church.
On July 2, 1951, the demolition of the old building began to make way for the new construction. In proportion to the grandeur of the construction, it did not take long for the city to have its long-awaited main church; on July 17, 1956, the new main church was inaugurated.
The interior of the church is breathtaking for its beauty and grandeur. Inspired by the Metropolitan Cathedral of Juiz de Fora, the church has imposing architectural lines and also has beautiful frescoes inside, which enchant with their colors and shapes made directly on the wall over the plaster – the work of the Italian painter Victorio Goretti. The artist was a cousin of Saint Maria Goretti, the young martyr canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950.
Another highlight of the temple is the hydraulic tiles, forming various types of carpets. Its abundant and naturally lit interior is a great place to meditate, taking advantage of the calm and silent climate, recharging your batteries to enjoy many adventures in the City of Waterfalls.
Source: NOGUEIRA. Laudelina Marinho, The City of Waterfalls: Santa Rita de Jacutinga and its history. 3rd ed. rev. and expanded. (Santa Rita de Jacutinga, private edition, 2005).
Translated by Google •
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