Jacarei

Jacareí is a Brazilian municipality in the State of São Paulo. It is located in the Paraíba Valley, São José dos Campos region, 78 km from the capital. Its geographical coordinates are 23º18'10" south and 45º17'31" west.

The bordering municipalities are São José dos Campos to the north and northeast, Jambeiro to the east, Santa Branca to the southeast, Guararema to the southwest, Santa Isabel to the west and Igaratá to the northwest.

History

The historical documents of Jacareí indicate the beginning of a settlement in 1652 with the name of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Parayba, started by Antonio Afonso and his three sons. On November 22, 1653, the site was elevated to a village by the donee of the Captaincy of Itanhaém, D. Diogo de Sousa y Faro, dismembered from the ancient city of Mogi das Cruzes, and became a city on April 3, 1849. Old road of Minas Gerais, with the Paraíba do Sul River, Jacareí went from humble colonial inn of tropeiros over the years to being a city of progress since 1790.

According to research, the initial nucleus of the city is in the vicinity of the Avareí chapel (1728) and the Plaza Matriz (17th century XIX), which was developed in the 1930s. The Plaza Matriz was expanded and continues today as the scene of the celebrations of the Patroness, Nossa Senhora da Imaculada Conceição, which have been celebrated for more than 100 years. The patron saint's day is December 8 (holiday). In 1920, the church underwent a reform of which traces can be seen today.

Another historical monument of the city is the Holy House of Mercy, with its facilities from 1850. The building was built thanks to donations and the free labor of slaves, assigned by rich knights. In 1854, after the first part of the building and the preliminary installations had been made, the Santa Casa opened its doors. The city's official arms, Flag, and Anthem were established by City Ordinance in 1952, 1968, and 1969, respectively.

Etymology

Before the creation of the Villa, those who lived here were simply called Moradores da Paraíba, in a reference to the river.

The first official name, “Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Paraíba” comes from Portuguese religiosity and the cult of the Immaculate Conception.

It is believed that the current name, of Tupi-Guarani origin, had emerged before 1710, in a popular and spontaneous way, being later added to the official name, with small alterations over time: Yacarahy, Jacarahy, Jacarehy and finally Jacareí.

There are two versions of the name: a corruption of “Y-agûa-yerê-ei” which means “corner-river-e volta desnecessária” (river of corner and unnecessary turn), it must be seen that the Paraíba River is sinuous and in a certain location it makes a large curve, going in the opposite direction to the normal course.

Meanwhile, the most accepted one says that the name comes from yacaré-y, which means “água ou rio de jacarés” (water or river of jacarés), from the time when these enormous reptiles inhabited the Paraíba River and nearby lagoons. In 1960, native alligators were still found in the back of the Agricultural School.

Marian apparitions

Jacareí: Appearances that last more than 23 years.

Since February 7, 1991, Our Lord and Our Lady have been appearing daily, in Jacareí (Sao Paulo-Brazil), at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

Jacareí is 80 km from Sao Paulo, between the Capital and the city of Aparecida, in the Paraíba Valley. You use the Vía Dutra or Trabalhadores to get there.

Blessed Mary presents herself as Queen and Messenger of Peace and makes a last call for conversion, through a young man, Marcos Tadeu Teixeira, who at the beginning of the Apparitions was barely 13 years old. He was graced with many Apparitions, visions, pains of the Passion of Jesus, of Our Lady; gifts of clairvoyance, exhalation of perfumed oil, at his prayers the possessed were freed from the devil and many sick were healed. They are the most intense Apparitions in the history of Brazil, and Our Lady affirms that these are the last Apparitions for humanity.

1. ↑ Worldpostalcodes.org, postal code No. 12300-000.