History of our Sanctuary

The Place's Choice

The inspiration for the Sanctuary was a request from Jesus to Mãezinha, founder of the Servants of Mary Community of the Heart of Jesus, in 2009. In prayer, mãezinha saw a high hill surrounded by valleys, and in turn, surrounded by mountains, destined for works of Mercy. Two months later, Jesus revealed that He wanted the construction of a Sanctuary, which would be dedicated to the Eternal Father. Soon after, she felt in her heart that in that land she had seen, milk and honey would flow. The confirmation of this inspiration came through the Word of God opened during a prayer moment by Father Lorenzo, where God promised Moses a land flowing with milk and honey (Dt 6:1-9). Mãezinha did not know where this place was, as the Community had already expanded significantly, reaching abroad. While mãezinha was at the site where the Community’s first mission house was opened in the city of Condado(PB), a young woman informed her that there was a plot of land for sale near the city.

The Birth of the Sanctuary

When mãezinha, accompanied by paizinho(Joseph), one of our priests, Father Lorenzo, a missionary, and other young people, was climbing the land with great difficulty, mãezinha fell three times along the way - it became clear that this work would be a way of the cross, requiring the sacrifice of her life. As soon as they reached the top of the hill, they realized it was indeed the place Jesus had indicated. Father Lorenzo blessed the land, placed four miraculous medals there, and consecrated it to Our Lady. The next day, they purchased the land. Dom Manoel dos Reis Farias, then Bishop of Patos, who held mãezinha in great esteem, joyfully welcomed this initiative, seeing it as a great spiritual benefit for the diocese and the entire hinterland. Soon, two architects were hired to develop the project. On July 30, 2009, the first reading of the Mass said: “Moses did everything the Lord commanded him, and he conformed to all. Thus, in the second year, on the first day of the first month, the Sanctuary was erected (Ex 40:16-11:34);” and this served as confirmation.

The Death of the Sanctuary

However, in 2011, Dom Manoel was transferred to the Diocese of Petrolina, and everything stalled. In 2014, with the encouragement of the new Bishop, Dom Eraldo Bispo da Silva, the work of the Father was resumed with a new project designed by architect Alexandre Lessa, inspired by mãezinha. In February 2015, land clearing work began on the hill. Soon after, Jesus asked mãezinha to go to Portugal to assist in preparing for the centenary of the Fatima apparitions. From March to December 2015, mãezinha, paizinho(Joseph), and Father Lourenço moved to Fatima. On June 6, 2015, the Mass for the laying of the first stone of the Sanctuary was celebrated by His Excellency Reverend Dom Eraldo. An unusual event occurred: a large rattlesnake was hidden in the hole where the first stone was to be placed. Dom Eraldo and the community members present saw this as a sign that God's enemy had fought hard against this work. Before beginning construction, shortly after completing the architectural plans, mãezinha had a vision in which the Sanctuary fell. Therefore, she sought the advice of a highly respected structural engineer, who, before mãezinha traveled to Portugal, imposed strict conditions regarding materials, construction technologies, and supervision of the work, to which mãezinha, trusting his professionalism, reluctantly agreed. In early 2016, as the Sanctuary’s roof was being assembled, Jesus showed mãezinha serious structural defects, both in the foundations and in the columns. After much persistence, the engineer, digging beside one of the foundations and drilling some columns, discovered that the Sanctuary had been built on fill, and the columns had not been properly filled with concrete. This led to two long years of suffering and great testing of mãezinha’s faith. These were years of restoration, which exhausted the funds available for the work.

Enthronement of Our Lady of Guadalupe

At this critical moment, when everything could have stopped, there were no engineers or workers left on the site, only a small remnant of laborers. However, mãezinha could count on the faithful support of Fernandinho, who became an engineer and accompanied the construction from the foundations, along with her son Paulo Roberto and his wife Cláudia, the construction foreman Zuzu, the help of the “Unión de Voluntades” association, the friend Guilhermo Ferrer from Mexico, engineer Henrique Castanhon, and builder Heronaldo Marinho. In 2017, with all this help, an authenticated image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was brought from Mexico, marking a milestone in the resumption of the work.

Sanctuary of God the Father Almighty

At that moment of trial, Jesus comforted mãezinha and asked her to change the title of the Sanctuary from “Sanctuary of the Eternal Father” to “Sanctuary of God the Father Almighty ,” because it would be the only Sanctuary in the world with the story of the Father’s Creation engraved in its structures, ruined by original sin and human pride, but restored and made even more extraordinary by the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Sanctuary embodies divine providence and the historical and Christological reason for Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From 2019 onward, the work progressed more quickly until reaching the present moment—so eagerly awaited—the solemn dedication, presided over by His Excellency Reverend Dom Eraldo Bispo da Silva, along with other bishops present, on October 28 at 10 am

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the operating hours?

After the dedication (inauguration) on October 28, 2025, the sanctuary will be open only on weekends from 8 am to 5 pm.

How can I make a donation?

What scheduled events are planned?

Is it necessary to schedule visits?

Where is the sanctuary located?

There will be the Sanctuary’s dedication, opening it to the public. Follow us on Instagram @sandeuspaitodopoderoso and stay tuned for updates!

The Sanctuary is located between the towns of Malta and Condado, in Paraíba.

Through the link: Ajude Nossa Missão – CSMCJ

Visits are currently closed until October 28. After that date, visits will be accepted on Saturdays and Sundays during the opening hours.