Balasar, in the county of Póvoa de Varzim, will inaugurate a new Eucharistic Sanctuary dedicated to the Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa, born in 1904 and died in 1955. The celebrations begin on Saturday, October 10, at 10:00, with the translation of the mortal remains of the Blessed from the parish church to the new Sanctuary, ceremony presided by D. José Cordeiro, Metropolitan Archbishop of Braga. On Sunday, October 11, at 16:00, the Dedication of the Church and Altar and the official enumeration of the Sanctuary will take place, presided by D. Andrés Carrascosa Coso, Apostolic Nuncio in Portugal.
The Blessed Alexandrina, native of Balasar and Cooperator Salesian, became known for her intense mystical life, devotion to the Eucharist, and the way she lived and offered her suffering. She was beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II on April 25, 2004, in Rome. The new temple aims to establish itself as a space for pilgrimage, prayer, and above all, Eucharistic adoration, perpetuating one of the central dimensions of her spiritual message.
The transfer of her mortal remains to the new Sanctuary constitutes a historic moment for Balasar and for the devotees of the Blessed Alexandrina, reinforcing the connection between her memory and the space that aims to perpetuate her Eucharistic spirituality. The enumeration takes place a few days before the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Alexandrina, celebrated on October 13, with the presence of pilgrims expected from different regions of the country and also from abroad. The new Sanctuary thus becomes an important point of reference for pilgrimage and the living of the spirituality connected to the Blessed Alexandrina.
