Igreja dos Capuchinhos - Tijuca - Rio de Janeiro

I used a GoPro 7 Hero Black camera to produce this video. September 6, 2025 - Saturday. The Church Getting to know the Basilica Sanctuary of Saint Sebastian, better known as the Capuchin Church The Church of Saint Sebastian of the Capuchins, located in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, was inaugurated on August 15, 1931. Brought from the Church of Morro do Castelo, built in 1567, it was rebuilt by Salvador de Sá in 1583. What we call the "Historical Relics of the City" were transported to the site: the remains of the founder of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Estácio de Sá, who died in 1567; the ground zero of the city founded in 1565; and the small image of Saint Sebastian from 1563. In 1842, the Church of Saint Sebastian of the Castle was handed over to the care of the Capuchin friars. This church survived until 1922, when it was demolished along with Morro do Castelo. Although Rio de Janeiro lost part of its ancient history, many things were transferred to the current church in Tijuca. The Church of São Sebastião dos Capuchinhos was elevated to parish status on January 9, 1947, by Cardinal Archbishop Dom Jaime de Barros Câmara. On June 8, the new parish of São Sebastião do Antigo Castelo was established, with Friar Jacinto de Palazzolo Ofmcap as its first pastor. The Capuchins were once again given the guardianship of the "Historical Relics of the City of Rio de Janeiro." History On January 20, we celebrate the Feast of our beloved patron saint, São Sebastião. He is a heroic figure who died to not renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. An imperial soldier from Narbonne (Gaul), or Milan, according to Saint Ambrose, he suffered martyrdom in Rome, as a witness to his faith in Christ, during the time of Emperor Diocletian. The uninterrupted popular cult dedicated to him reveals his burial place in the cemetery of the ancient Appian Way, in the catacombs of Saint Sebastian. The liturgy of Rome has always reserved a privileged place for him. Iconography depicts him in martyrdom, riddled with arrows. Because of his wounds, he was invoked as the protector of those afflicted with plague. In 1565, he was chosen as the patron saint of this city of Rio de Janeiro by its founder, Estácio de Sá. Saint Sebastian is for us a model of faith, courage, constancy, and availability in the service of God and the Church. May he protect the city, the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, and our parish, dedicated to him, defending us from violence and epidemics, and granting us the grace of steadfastness in faith. Saint Sebastian lived in the early centuries of Christianity. He served in the military in Milan, Italy. For his fidelity and valor, he was appointed Captain by Emperor Diocletian. In his position as leader, he used the opportunity to better comfort Christians when they were denounced or sentenced to death. Diocletian, identifying Sebastian as a true Christian, arrested him and forced him to renounce his faith. Because he held Sebastian in great esteem, he did everything, through promises, to persuade him to renounce his Christian faith. Unyielding, he refused to back down, being stripped of his official position, tortured, tied to a tree, and shot with arrows. Resisting the torture imposed on him, he survived and, full of courage, expressed to the emperor his disapproval of the violence perpetrated against innocents like Christians. This action cost him the death sentence. He died in 303, amid torment, beatings, and lead pellets. In the Church's two-thousand-year tradition, the cult of saints has a very specific purpose. They are not worshipped because the only one worthy of our adoration is God, in the person of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But how can we fail to benefit from the personal and communal experience of men and women (saints) who so radically embraced Jesus Christ and his Kingdom project, and for whom many innocently shed their own blood? It would be throwing away a wealth greater than gold and silver: the richness of our faith. Saint Sebastian and all the Saints, our intercessory brothers, are examples for us to follow, and we want to imitate them to be closer to God and his teachings. Source: https://igrejadoscapuchinhos.org.br/a...