Our Lady Mother of Men Church

{{Infobox religious building

| name = Our Lady Mother of Men Church

| native_name = Igreja Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens

| native_name_lang = pt-br

| religious_affiliation = Catholicism

| image = Vista Santuário do Caraça MG.JPG

| caption = Our Lady Mother of Men Church in the Caraça Sanctuary

| map_type = Brazil

| coordinates = {{coord|20|05|51|S|43|29|18|W}}

| municipality = Catas Altas

| state = Minas Gerais

| country = Brazil

| website = http://www.santuariodocaraca.com.br/

| architecture_style = Neo-Gothic

| year_completed = 1883

}}

{{Short description|Catholic temple in Minas Gerais, Brazil}}

The Our Lady Mother of Men Church {{langx|pt|Igreja Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens}}, part of the Caraça Sanctuary, is a Catholic temple in Catas Altas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.{{Cite web |title=Onde estamos |trans-title=Where we are |url=https://www.pbcm.org.br//onde-estamos |access-date= |website=Província Brasileira da Congregação da Missão |language=pt-br}} The official name of the complex is Sanctuary of Our Lady Mother of Men, but Caraça (Portuguese word for "big face"){{Cite web |last=S.A |first=Priberam Informática |title=Caraça - Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa |trans-title=Caraça - Priberam Dictionary of the Portuguese Language |url=https://dicionario.priberam.org/cara%C3%A7a |access-date=2024-02-19 |website=Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa |language=pt-br}} has this nickname because of the shape of part of the mountain, which resembles the face of a giant lying down.

Situated in the Serra do Caraça, the church was built from 1876 to 1883, during the peak of the mining period, where the former Ermida do Irmão Lourenço was.{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=Catas Altas - Histórico |trans-title=Catas Altas - History |url=https://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/visualizacao/dtbs/minasgerais/catasaltas.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707152027/http://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/visualizacao/dtbs/minasgerais/catasaltas.pdf |archive-date=2015-07-07 |access-date=2013-02-18 |website=Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística |language=pt-br}}{{Cite web |title=O Santuário Neogótico de Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens |trans-title=The Neo-Gothic Shrine of Our Lady Mother of Men |url=https://www.santuariodocaraca.com.br/peregrinacao/santuario.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313205819/http://santuariodocaraca.com.br/peregrinacao/santuario.php |archive-date=2013-03-13 |access-date=2013-02-18 |website=Santuário do Caraça |language=pt-br}}{{Cite web |last=Araújo |first=Ana Lúcia |date=2005-02-14 |title=Fernão Dias descobre ouro em Minas Gerais |trans-title=Fernão Dias discovers gold in Minas Gerais |url=http://vestibular.uol.com.br/revisao-de-disciplinas/historia-do-brasil/fernao-dias-descobre-ouro-em-minas-gerais.jhtm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625042035/http://vestibular.uol.com.br/revisao-de-disciplinas/historia-do-brasil/fernao-dias-descobre-ouro-em-minas-gerais.jhtm |archive-date=2012-06-25 |website=UOL Vestibular |language=pt-br}}{{Cite web |title=Caraça - Santuário / Parque |trans-title=Caraça - Sanctuary / Park |url=https://www.descubraminas.com.br/Turismo/ParqueApresentacao.aspx?cod_destino=801 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017142954/https://www.descubraminas.com.br/Turismo/ParqueApresentacao.aspx?cod_destino=801 |archive-date=2011-10-17 |access-date=2013-02-18 |website=Descubra Minas |language=pt-br}} It was inaugurated on the 27th of May 1883, in the presence of the bishops from Rio de Janeiro, Mariana and Bahia. There was a church on the site built during Brother Lourenço's time, which was demolished to make way for Fr Clavelin's project. Two side altars remain from this church, which can be seen at the entrance to the building, one on each side.{{Cite web |date=2015-11-04 |title=Admirando a igreja do Caraça |trans-title=Admiring the church of Caraça |url=https://www.santuariodocaraca.com.br/admirando-a-igreja-do-caraca/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Santuário do Caraça |language=pt-BR}}

One of the town's main tourist attractions, the church was the first to be built in Brazil in the neo-Gothic style.{{Cite web |title=O Santuário Neogótico de Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens |trans-title=The Neo-Gothic Shrine of Our Lady Mother of Men |url=https://www.santuariodocaraca.com.br/o-santuario-neogotico-de-nossa-senhora-mae-dos-homens/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=Santuário do Caraça |language=pt-BR}} It has a 48-metre-high tower and a painting of the Holy Supper by Mestre Ataíde in 1828. The altar has a baroque image of Our Lady Mother of Men carved from wood in a single piece, with gold-painted clothes, which came from Portugal in 1784.{{Cite web |date=2010-08-11 |title=Um passeio histórico e cultural em Catas Altas e Serra do Caraça |trans-title=A historical and cultural tour of Catas Altas and Serra do Caraça |url=http://www.iamg.org.br/lerpublicacao.php?publicacao=118 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223131024/https://www.iamg.org.br/lerpublicacao.php?publicacao=118 |archive-date=2010-12-23 |access-date=2013-02-18 |language=pt-br}} The Sanctuary, once visited by the Brazilian presidents Afonso Pena and Artur Bernardes, is listed by IPHAN.{{Cite web |title=Colégio do Caraça: conjunto arquitetônico e paisagístico (Catas Altas, MG) |trans-title=Colégio do Caraça: architectural and landscape complex (Catas Altas, MG) |url=http://www.iphan.gov.br/ans.net/tema_consulta.asp?Linha=tc_hist.gif&Cod=1429 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708212603/http://portal.iphan.gov.br/ans.net/tema_consulta.asp?Linha=tc_hist.gif&Cod=1429 |archive-date=2015-07-08 |access-date=2013-02-18 |website=Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (IPHAN) |language=pt-br}}{{Cite web |title=Parque Natural do Caraça |trans-title=Caraça Natural Park |url=http://www.webventure.com.br/destinoaventura/mg/caraca |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130219074429/http://www.webventure.com.br/destinoaventura/mg/caraca |archive-date=2013-02-19 |access-date=2013-02-18 |website=Webventure |language=pt-br}}