The Balasar Eucharistic Sanctuary was inaugurated this Sunday, before thousands of faithful, pilgrims, and visitors from various parts of the country and abroad. The celebration was attended by numerous civil and religious entities, notably the Apostolic Nuncio to Portugal, Andrés Carrascosa Coso, representative of Pope Leo XIV. Also present were the Mayor of Póvoa de Varzim, Andrea Silva, the Duke of Braganza, D. Duarte Pio, and the President of the Freguesia of Balasar, Marco Silva.
During the homily, the representative of the Holy See highlighted the life and testimony of Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa, emphasizing that her illness and fragility never prevented her active participation in the Church's mission. Born in Balasar on March 30, 1904, Alexandrina Maria da Costa was beatified by Saint John Paul II on April 25, 2004. Her biography notes that, from March 27, 1942, she lived exclusively on the Eucharist, without eating.
The new temple, which stands as a landmark of contemporary religious architecture, is the first sanctuary built from scratch in Portugal in the 21st century. The space will welcome pilgrims from around the world interested in learning about the legacy of faith, suffering, and hope left by Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa.
The previous Saturday, the Archbishop Primate of Braga, D. José Cordeiro, presided over the transfer of the blessed's remains to the new sanctuary. In his homily at the Parish Church of Balasar, D. José Cordeiro described Alexandrina as "a lamp in the sanctuary's tent, she is the ever-lit lamp," inviting, through her example, to love the Eucharist.
