Barreiros (Pernambuco) and São Miguel Fortress in Luanda lie on the same latitude. The churches of St Michael the Archangel that link Brazil to Africa, and the Prayer to St Michael.
St Michael the Archangel is one of the most beloved saints in Brazil, and the country is part of a recent discovery: churches of the Archangel that lie on the same latitude as St Michael's churches in Africa. The most striking one links Barreiros, in Pernambuco, to São Miguel Fortress in Luanda, on either side of the Atlantic.
It all started with the St Michael's Sacred Line of the Atlantic, a straight line joining twelve churches of St Michael the Archangel, one in each country, from an 1883 chapel in the south of São Tomé. When we drew that line on the map, next to the famous St Michael's line in Europe, links with Brazil also appeared.
Who is St Michael the Archangel
St Michael the Archangel is the prince of the heavenly host, the defender of God's people against evil. His name in Hebrew is a question: «Who is like God?». In the Bible he appears in the Book of Daniel, the Letter of Jude and the Book of Revelation, where he defeats the dragon. The Church celebrates him on 29 September, together with the Archangels Gabriel and Raphael.
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St Michael the Archangel in Brazil and Africa, on the same latitude
- Barreiros (Pernambuco) and Luanda (Angola). The Church of São Miguel in Barreiros and São Miguel Fortress in Luanda lie almost exactly on the same latitude. Barreiros was once called São Miguel de Barreiros and has St Michael as its patron saint, celebrated on 29 September. The Luanda fortress was named after the Archangel in 1648, when Salvador Correia de Sá e Benevides, sailing from Rio de Janeiro, retook the city.
- Porto Vitória (Paraná) and Johannesburg (South Africa). The Church of St Michael the Archangel in Porto Vitória is on the same latitude as St Michael's church in Johannesburg, one of the twelve churches of the Sacred Line.
Nobody planned these churches in a line. They were built in different centuries, by different peoples. For people of faith, they may be a sign that the Archangel watches over his own on both sides of the ocean.
Prayer to St Michael the Archangel
The most widely prayed Prayer to St Michael the Archangel was composed by Pope Leo XIII:
Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
St Michael's Day and St Michael's Lent
St Michael's Day is 29 September. Many of the faithful prepare with St Michael's Lent, forty days of prayer and fasting that begin on 15 August, the feast of the Assumption, and end on the feast of the Archangel. In Barreiros, 29 September is a municipal holiday in honour of the patron saint.
The Chapel of São Miguel in São Tomé
The line starts at the Chapel of São Miguel, built in 1883 in the south of São Tomé, near the Equator. It is in ruins, but the original statue of the Archangel is still on the altar. São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola and Brazil share the same language and the same Atlantic history, and now this line of the Archangel too. Learn more at capeladesaomiguel.com and in our article on the Archangel Michael.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
The most widely prayed is Pope Leo XIII's: «Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defence against the wickedness and snares of the Devil…». The full text is in this article.
On 29 September, the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Forty days of prayer and fasting, from 15 August to 29 September, in preparation for the Archangel's feast.
The Church of São Miguel in Barreiros, Pernambuco, lies almost exactly on the same latitude as São Miguel Fortress in Luanda.
