The many Paulinas: the powers of representation in the images of a Catholic saint

Abstract

The present text focuses on a set of images of Madre Paulina, a woman canonized by the Catholic Church in 2002, whose sanctuary is in southern Brazil. Sculptures containing different characteristics are part of the efforts to spread devotion to the saint. An analysis of the production of these images - and their reproductions in various media - is carried out with reference to anthropological discussions rergarding representation and presentification. It is argued that it is not necessary to oppose these two ideas, as analysis demonstrates that the multiplication of representations of the saint, with its subsequent production of variations, is combined with a project of attracting devotees. Observations at places where the images are located, as well as interviews with leaders of the congregation that administers the sanctuary and with the manufacturers of the sculptures of the saint, form the basis of these observations and analyses.

Keywords:
sanctity; images; Catholicism; sanctuaries; agency