Sameiro Sanctuary

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro (or Sameiro Sanctuary or Immaculate Conception of Mount Sameiro) is a Marian sanctuary located in the parish of Espinho, in Braga, Portugal. Its devotional history began on June 14, 1863.

The founder of this sanctuary was Father Martinho António Pereira da Silva, a vicar of Braga and native of Semelhe, who in 1869 placed an image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception at the mountain’s summit. This sanctuary is one of the most important centers of Marian devotion in Portugal, second only to the Sanctuary of Fátima and the Sanctuary of Mãe Soberana (in Loulé).

The temple, completed in the 20th century, features a striking white polished granite main altar and a silver tabernacle. In front of the temple stands an imposing and vast staircase, at the top of which rise two tall pillars crowned with statues of the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Our Lady of Sameiro is represented by a statue located on the main altar of the sanctuary. The sculpture, carved in Rome and blessed by Pope Pius IX, is adorned with a magnificent and valuable crown made of 2.5 kg of solid gold and diamonds, offered in 1904 by the women of Portugal, including Queen D. Amélia of Orléans.

Braga was the first Portuguese city to dedicate a monument celebrating the joy of God’s people in the lands of Santa Maria upon the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 1854. Archbishop D. Jorge Ortiga of Braga emphasized Our Lady’s role in this place, identifying her in his pastoral letter “E Deus Escolheu Maria para ser Mãe de Deus” (“And God Chose Mary to Be the Mother of God”) as a presence that challenges and invites the faithful to “various initiatives always leading to an encounter with Christ, in the Word and in the Eucharist.”

The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Sameiro is celebrated on June 12, according to the Proprium of Braga.

The great annual pilgrimage of the Archdiocese of Braga takes place on the first Sunday of June, departing from the Braga Cathedral. On the third Sunday of August, the statutory pilgrimage occurs, starting at the nearby Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte.

Under the protection of Our Lady of Sameiro are:

The House of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena (1934)

The Carmelite Missionary Seminary (1967)

The Monastery of Santa Cruz of the Crosier Fathers (1979)

The headquarters residence of the Society of Apostolic Life, the Heralds of the Gospel