Description

History

The Church has had a presence in Brazil since the 1920’s. During that time, most of the converts were German immigrants who came to Brazil after World War I. They were settled in a town called Ipomeia, in the state of Santa Catarina. In 1923, Robert Lippelt and his wife Augusta arrived in Brazil. Augusta asked the Church Headquarters to send LDS literature. Consequently, Reinhold Stoff, who was the South America Mission President in Buenos Aires, Argentina, went to visit Brazil. He took missionaries there in 1928 to teach the Restored Gospel to people in Santa Catarina who spoke German. The first converts joined the Church in Brazil in 1929. The first Church meetinghouse was erected in Joinville, Santa Catarina, in 1931. A Brazilian Mission was established in 1935, some church materials were translated into Portuguese in 1937, and the missionaries started teaching in Portuguese a year later. During World War II, the missionaries were removed from Brazil, and at the conclusion of the war, they returned. From this point, the Brazilian natives began joining the Church by the hundreds, and membership continues to grow at a steady rate.

In 1953, at the dedication of the Ipomeia meetinghouse, President Spencer W. Kimball declared: “One day, in this region, there will be a temple of the Lord.” Over 50 years later, fulfillment of that prophecy began when President Gordon B. Hinckley personally selected the site for the Curitiba Brazil Temple in 2004 during his travels to rededicate the São Paulo Brazil Temple.^[1]Ana Claudia Soli, “Curitiba temple nearing completion,” Church News 28 Apr. 2007: 4.

The first Brazilian stake outside of São Paulo was created in Curitiba in 1971.

Announcement

The First Presidency of the Church announced on 23 August 2002, that a temple would be built in Curitiba.

President Gordon B. Hinckley selected the site for the temple in 2004, when he came to rededicate the São Paulo Brazil Temple.

On February 16, 2005, Church authorities met with City officials including Mayor Beto Richa to announce the pending construction of the temple. They explained the significance of the temple for members in the entire region. In addition, they presented two Church programs: Helping Hands and the Perpetual Education Fund. The mayor expressed sincere enthusiasm for the service provided through Helping Hands, wishing that more organizations demonstrated the same zeal for volunteer service as does the Church. When presented with a statue which represents family ties, Mayor Richa said he would place it in his home as a reminder of his own family.^[2]”Prefeito de Curitiba recebe líderes da Igreja,” Liberação da Notícia da Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias, 6 Mar. 2005

Groundbreaking

To an audience of about 1,200, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided at the groundbreaking ceremony for the temple on Thursday, March 10, 2005. Also participating in the ceremonial dig was Vice-Mayor Luciano Ducci, who represented Mayor Beto Richa. In his remarks, Vice-Mayor Ducci referred to the groundbreaking as a beautiful gift for Curitiba, which celebrated its 312th anniversary just 19 days later on March 29. He said it was a good gift because it “will unite families at a time when so many of them are falling apart.”^[3]”Luciano Ducci participa de ato simbólico da comunidade mórmon,” Curitiba City Hall 10 Mar. 2005, 14 Mar. 2005 .^[4]Luciano Ducci, quoted in Fernando Assis, “Ground Broken for Temple in Curitiba,” Church News, Mar. 19, 2005, . Elder Nelson dedicated the site and offered a prayer in Portuguese.

Open House

Tours for VIPs and the media were conducted on 8 May 2008.

The temple opened to the public for a two-week open house, from Saturday 10 May to Saturday 24 May 2008, and was the occasion of numerous spiritual experiences. One account tells of a visitor who became increasingly anxious during his tour, almost running from the final room. Tour guides couldn’t imagine the cause of his anxiety, but he came again the next day and explained, “I felt something in my heart that I had never felt before [that] filled me with happiness. I wanted my family to feel what I was feeling.” He continued, “That’s why I ran; I was in a hurry to tell my wife about this, and ask her to come back with me.” He was accompanied this time by not only his wife but also his four children and his grandchildren. The missionaries identified his feelings as the Spirit and arranged to teach him.

Of the over 42,000 who visited the temple, approximately 4,000 left comment cards and 2,000 requested missionaries.^[5]Gerry Avant, “Temple is answer to many prayers,” Church News 31 May 2008: 3. Many people had heard about the open house on television, others traveled many miles to attend. Some who attended told their families and friends that they should visit the temple as well.

Cultural Celebration

In an truly impressive display—compared to the opening ceremony of the Olympics by President Thomas S. Monson—4,330 Brazilian Saints took to the field of Curitiba’s Arena da Baixada, backed by 1,700 voices, to present a cultural celebration the evening before the temple dedication. The program mixed music, dance, drama, gymnastics, scripting, costuming, direction, staging, and technology to tell the story of the Church from its founding in New York to the dedication of its 126th temple in Curitiba. When photographs of President James E. Faust and Elder Wm. Grant Bangerter were displayed during the program, the audience erupted in a tremendous cheer. The touching story of their discouragement and heart-felt prayers during their missionary service was related, which resulted in them feeling inspired that their work would bear fruit. Indeed it has!^[6]Gerry Avant, “Brazilian culture,” Church News 7 Jun. 2008: 10.

Dedication

President James E. Faust served as a young missionary in Curitiba and later presided over South America as a general authority. President Gordon B. Hinckley planned to take Pres. Faust with him to dedicate the Curitiba Brazil Temple, but both passed away in the months preceding the dedication.

President Thomas S. Monson presided over the “long-awaited day” of dedication, beginning with the sealing of the cornerstone and ending with members lingering on the temple grounds, not wanting the day to end. Members traveled great distances to be in the presence of their prophet, filling the temple to capacity while services were transmitted to area stake centers. President Monson’s trip to dedicate the Curitiba Brazil Temple was his first trip outside North America as president of the Church. The temple was dedicated in four sessions on June 1, 2008.

As part of the dedicatory prayer he said, “We seek to be like Thee; we seek to pattern our lives after the life of Thy Son. … As we dedicate this sacred edifice, we rededicate our very lives to Thee and to Thy work.”^[7]Curitiba Brazil Temple dedicatory prayer, in Church News, July 7, 2008.

Julia Domingues Costa of the São José dos Pinhais Stake was among those infused with the spirit of the day. “These are tears of joy,” she explained, shortly after an opportunity to shake Pres. Monson’s hand. “I was so happy to be able to attend the dedication. It is really the House of the Lord. President Monson is a man of the Lord. He’s our prophet, and I’m sure if we do our share in this house we will all be together with the Lord someday as brothers and sisters.”^[8]Gerry Avant, “Temple is crown of growth in Brazil,” Church News 7 Jun. 2008: 3.

Dedication Order

At the time the temple was built in Curitiba, there were also temples in São Paulo, Recife, Porto Alegre and Campinas. Now there are even more temples in Brazil, as the Church continues to flourish in this South American nation.

The Curitiba Brazil Temple is the 125th operating temple, the fifth temple in Brazil after

Presidents

Temple President	Years Served
Getulio W. Silva	2019–2019
Joaquim L. Oliveira	2016–2019
Sidney S. Camargo	2013–2016
José M. Arias	2010–2013
Jason G. Sousa	2008–2010

Details

Location

The Curitba Brazil Temple is surrounded by trees on a beautiful tract of land nestled in the Campo Grande neighborhood of Curitiba, the capital city of the state of Paraná. The Curitiba Brazil Temple is conveniently located next to the Unidade Saúde Campo Comprido bus stop near the Barigui Shopping Center. Decorating the exquisite grounds are a large water feature, gorgeous gardens, and numerous trees. The public is welcome to walk the grounds.

With a population of over 10 million, Paraná is home to many immigrants and descendants of immigrants. The Curitiba Brazil Temple serves thousands of members of the Church in Paraná and Santa Catarina, Paraná’s southern neighbor.

Exterior

The temple’s exterior is made from reinforced concrete faced with sienna white granite from the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Windows featuring art-glass designs also adorn the exterior, allowing sunlight to stream into the temple’s many rooms.

The gold-leafed angel Moroni statue was installed atop the spire of the Curitiba Brazil Temple on January 11, 2008.

Interior

The temple contains a baptistry, instruction rooms, sealing rooms, and a beautiful celestial room.

The floor plan created for the Curitiba Brazil Temple was adapted and used for the Vancouver British Columbia Temple and Manaus Brazil Temple.