Black Mother: a saint outside the church

In 1954, at the end of the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the city of São Paulo, the monument to Mãe Preta was inaugurated. The work was installed next to the Rosário dos Homens Pretos church, in a location that is a reference point for black identity. In the 1980s, after years of receiving offerings, the government recognized the legitimacy religious practices and took steps to preserve the monument. This article reflects on how the figure of Mãe Preta popularly functions as a saint outside the church and on the problems that religious practices cause to its heritage preservation.

Keywords:
Black Mother; IV Centenary of the city of São Paulo; Popular religiosity, Memory; Heritage