Santuário Mãe de Deus, Porto Alegre

The Archdiocesan Sanctuary Nossa Senhora Madre de Deus is a Catholic church located at the top of the Pedra Redonda hill, Santuário Street, near Alpes Road, in Porto Alegre. The project for the building dates back to 1987, but its construction was delayed due to environmental concerns, and its cornerstone could only be laid on August 16, 1992, being consecrated by the Archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Joachim Meisner. It was completed in June 2000 as part of the Third Millennium celebrations.

It has 700 m² of built area, divided into two floors. It is a steel, brick, and glass structure with bold lines, defined mainly by the large gable roof that organizes the whole structure and extends to ground level. It has a series of stained glass windows illustrating the Old Testament and the Sacraments, and a large statue of the Patroness, from Italy, sculpted in linden wood. It is a very sought after Sanctuary also for its ecological beauty and the spectacular 360 degree view of Porto Alegre and adjacent cities including the Guaíba estuary and the entrance to Lagoa dos Patos. For this reason the city's tourist bus passes by the site several times a day.

The Shrine complex includes an independent bell tower and sanitary facilities for the large public that attends on festive occasions and pilgrimages. For these events an open-air altar was installed on the esplanade in front of the temple, from where one can also enjoy a magnificent view of the entire Porto Alegre region and the Guaíba estuary.

Since January 1, 2010 the Shrine has been administered by the Redemptorist Fathers. Currently the rector is Fr Claudio Mallmann, CSsR and the administrator is Fr Danilo Bulegon, CSsR.

When, in 1626, the Jesuit missionary saint Roque Gonzales, coming from Paraguay, crossed the Uruguay River penetrating the gaúcho soil, he baptized this region with the Guarani name Tupan-cy-retan = land of the Mother of God. In 1773, the then governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Colonel José Marcellino de Figueiredo, when transferring the capital from Viamão to Porto Alegre, with permission from the ecclesiastical authority, also changed the patron saint, which was S. Francisco das Chagas, to N. Sra. Madre of God. From this date until our days and always, the Mother of God is the patroness of the Capital and of the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre. And, for this reason, the Cathedral is dedicated to the Mother of God.