As of today, January 1st, the famous Chapel of Our Lady of Peace, located in Vila Franca do Campo, will become a shrine, making it the first Marian shrine (shrine dedicated to the cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary) on the island of São Miguel. It will also become the sixth diocesan shrine in the Portuguese archipelagos.
The ceremony will be presided over by the Bishop of Angra and will begin at 3pm with the recitation of the Rosary, followed by the proclamation of the decree of elevation to shrine status by Bishop Armando Domingues. Mass will then be celebrated at 4pm.
On Friday, the 3rd, the Parish Church of São Miguel Arcanjo will host the Concert for Peace, featuring the Vila Franca do Campo philharmonic bands.
Built in the middle of the 18th century, the Chapel of Our Lady of Peace is one of the most famous religious temples in the Azores, both because of the breathtaking view it offers to those who visit its top, allowing them to see the whole parish and the islet of Vila Franca do Campo, and also because of its historical and religious significance for the locals.
Legend has it that, one day, the shepherds who worked there went into a cave to shelter from the bad weather. To their surprise, they found an image of Our Lady there and took it to the Mother Church. The next day, the shepherds inexplicably found the image of Our Lady again in the same place and took it to the Mother Church. This process was repeated over the course of a few days, until the locals realized that the image wanted to stay there.
Thus, the current chapel of Our Lady of Peace was built there in response to the image’s apparent request.
To this day, the image remains there and is regularly cared for and visited.