Dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary as well as the black St Benedict, this church has been an important icon for Afro-Brazilians, serving a congregation of mostly black and biracial Catholics over the years. Sadly, a fire in 1967 destroyed much of the elaborate interior of this historic church, leaving only the unadorned walls that date back to the early 1700s.
Penitents leave offerings to the black martyr Anastasia (venerated as a saint, but not recognized officially by the Catholic church) in a candlelit room next to the entrance. A huge crowd gathers every May 13 to commemorate the end of slavery.
