Father João Maria: A Written Holy Body
Father João Maria; Backlands; Seridó; Representation; Beliefs.
It aims to understand how the representation of Father João Maria Cavalcanti de Brito as the Saint of Seridó was forged, through periodicals from potiguares in the 1935-1955 period. Discusses which were the aspects in the country context that led to the construction of the figure of a man as a saint, based on the use of newspapers as a source, taking the publications of the periodicals: A Ordem, O Poti and O Diário de Natal, which denote numerous statements from the priest's devotees, testifying to the graces achieved. In this sense, the work seeks to question the narratives described, the context of the publications, the interests behind the newspapers and the roles of devotees. All of this, seeking to relate the configuration of beliefs in the sertão to a more relevant issue.