World’s Largest Statue of Our Lady of Fatima Inaugurated in Brazil

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‘Working on this piece was, for me, a form of prayer in motion,’ says sculptor, who is now planning a trip to the Marian sanctuary in Portugal.

Think of the largest and most iconic sculptures on the planet. Do the Statue of Liberty in New York or Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro come to mind?

Now, an even taller statue has debuted: the largest sculpture of Our Lady of Fatima in the world, inaugurated on Thursday in the Brazilian city of Crato.

With an impressive height of 177 feet (the equivalent of a 15-story building), the new sculpture rises in the middle of an extensive urban plain — making visible the strong Marian devotion of the region’s inhabitants, inscribing faith in the landscape itself.

With an interior made of polyurethane and an exterior composed of fiberglass membranes with resin, a gel finish and special paint, the sculpture was created in parts, which were then transported to Crato and assembled like a 3D puzzle. In total, the work took one year and five months to complete, involving a team of more than 30 people. At the same time, a new sanctuary was built around it, equipped with services for pilgrims, a replica of the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fatima, Portugal, and pastoral assistance.

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