"Miss Universe" contestant appears in costume of Our Lady of Aparecida icon
Photo: on the left - the icon of Our Lady of Aparecida, on the right - Maria Gabriela Lacerda. Photo: UOJ
Maria Gabriela Lacerda, Brazil’s Miss Universe 2025 contestant, appeared at the finals held on November 21 wearing a costume resembling the one depicted in the icon of Our Lady of Aparecida — a highly venerated image in Brazil, honored as the country’s patroness.
The 22-year-old Lacerda did not make it to the top 12 participants, but attracted public attention precisely with her image.
On her Instagram page, she explained her costume choice: "On this stage, I am wearing more than just a costume: I carry the history, the faith, and the identity of our people. Every detail of this traditional outfit is a tribute to Nossa Senhora Aparecida (Our Lady of Aparecida — Ed.), the Patroness of Brazil, whose light passes through generations and symbolizes resilience."
On her page, Lacerda states that she is Catholic. In addition, she is an ambassador for the charitable organization Mães da Sé, which has been helping families search for missing relatives since 1996.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that in Germany, an RCC priest held a Halloween service dressed as Dracula.
Read also
Dumenko shows Ilya of Murom “icon” with bident and moustache at his relics
The image of Ilya of Murom bears the symbols of the “Northern Resistance Movement.”
Monastic tonsure performed at Kyiv Theological Schools
Three students of the Kyiv Theological Academy and Seminary received the monastic tonsure at the Church of St. Agapitus of the Caves at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
Christians of the Holy Land ask Israel to save Gaza’s children with cancer
Patriarch Theophilos and leaders of Christian denominations are asking the Israeli government to allow children from Gaza who are suffering from cancer to receive urgently needed treatment.
Bessarabian Metropolis claims canonical succession in Moldova
The head of the Bessarabian Metropolis voiced claims to an exclusive role in the Orthodox life of Moldova.
Amsterdam criticizes anti-UOC law in British media
On the air of a British TV channel, lawyer Amsterdam stated about the torture of clergy, church seizures, and the adoption of the anti-UOC law that violates the Constitution of Ukraine.
The street and square in Kyiv will be renamed in honor of Caucasian imams
The capital authorities abandoned Soviet toponyms and immortalized figures associated with Caucasian Islamic leaders.