Beata Benigna Devotional Complex Opens in Santana do Cariri

Overview

• Pilgrims filled the new complex on Saturday with a morning procession and an afternoon inaugural Mass led by Bishop Dom Magnus Henrique Lopes.
• State works officials say the 48,000–50,000 m² site includes a chapel, a memorial, an open‑air Mass area, a paved 600‑meter Caminhos do Martírio trail, and expanded parking.
• Reports differ on the monument’s size, with Diário do Nordeste citing about 26 meters and G1 reporting 38 meters including the pedestal.
• The program featured Sister Kelly Patrícia and Father Fábio de Melo, and organizers expected caravans from more than 15 states, with volunteers, medics, and basic services on site.
• Benigna Cardoso, killed at 13 in 1941 after resisting sexual advances, was beatified in 2022 as Ceará’s first beata and is honored here as a symbol of protection for women and children, a draw that local leaders say will lift faith travel in the region.