Our Lady of Navigators
Our Lady of Navigators also known as Our Lady of Seafarers is a devotional title given to the Virgin Mary by Roman Catholics. It is a widespread devotion in South America, especially in Brazil, where her holy day is celebrated on February 2 as an official holiday. Religious procession where the image of the Virgin Mary is carried take place in most coastal cities that have harbors, specially the large ones. Several churches in Brazil are dedicated to Our Lady of Navigators.
The devotion started in the fifteenth century by Europeans, especially the Portuguese navigators, praying for a safe return to their homes. They saw the Virgin Mary as their protector during storms and other hazards. The first statue in South America was brought from Portugal to Brazil.
The theme of the "Virgin Mary as the protector" was similarly used in The Virgin of the Navigators, 1531–36, the earliest known painting whose subject is the discovery of the Americas.Gallery of churches
