The Maceió Brazil Temple is now officially under construction, one of 24 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South America’s largest nation.
Groundbreaking services were Saturday afternoon, Oct. 10, in Maceió with local Church leaders and members joined by civil authorities, religious leaders and other guests at the temple site. Elder B. Corey Cuvelier, a General Authority Seventy and counselor in the Brazil Area presidency, presided at the groundbreaking and offered a prayer dedicating the site and the construction process, reported ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
“We pray that this will be a place of inspiration and revelation, where all may feel Thy power and grow up in Thee,” Elder Cuvelier invoked. “May this house, as it rises and when it is finished, be as a light set upon a hill, that all who behold it may feel of Thy love and be filled with purpose.”
Local Latter-day Saints looked at the groundbreaking with an eye to the past and an eye to the future. Long-time Church members, some with several generations of worshiping in Maceió and the northeastern coastal state of Alagoas, see the new temple as an answer to prayers.
“The Maceió temple will bless the lives of members, bringing unity, joy and an eternal perspective. … Since the first pioneers arrived in Alagoas, members have hoped to have a temple nearby where they could serve the Lord,” said Ricardo Araújo of the Pajuçara Ward in the Maceió Brazil Stake.
Suely Valdez Santos Cavalcante, a pioneer member of the Maceió stake, spoke during the service about how temple attendance strengthens families and individuals.
“When I attend the temple, I feel closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ,” Cavalcante said. “There I find peace, receive guidance and feel His love for me and for all of God’s children more deeply. My spiritual strength is renewed there, helping me face life’s challenges. I leave with more faith, more hope and a greater desire to live better.”
Two young speakers represented how the new temple will bless the rising generation.
Pedro Oliveira Costa, age 11, of the Maceió stake, spoke about how an eternal family helps him know, love and follow Jesus Christ. And Pablo Fabrício Silva de Casto, a young man from the Maceió Brazil Litoral Stake, spoke about how covenants help individuals remain faithful on the path of discipleship and prepare for the blessings of the temple.
Currently, Latter-day Saints residing in Maceió must travel north to the Recife Brazil Temple — a distance of 170 miles (275 kilometers) and a drive of nearly four hours.
The event in Maceió marked the fourth groundbreaking in Brazil this year, following those for the João Pessoa temple on Jan. 24, the Teresina temple on April 18 and the Santos temple on Aug. 1.
Attendees at the Maceió groundbreaking included leaders and representatives from the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the state and municipal governments.
About the Maceió temple
As previously announced, the Maceió temple is planned as a single-story temple of approximately 19,000 square feet. It will be built at Avenida Dr. Durval de Góis Monteiro, S/N, Quadra 0522, Lote 0228.
Maceió is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state of Alagoas, Brazil.
On April 3, 2022, then-Church President Russell M. Nelson announced this temple for Maceió. It was one of 17 temple locations he identified in the April 2022 general conference, including for Santos.
About the Church in Brazil
Latter-day Saint missionaries began preaching in southern Brazil in 1928. By the time the São Paulo Brazil Temple — the first in South America — was dedicated in 1978, membership in the country had reached 54,000.
Brazil is home to more than 1.5 million Latter-day Saints in over 2,000 wards and branches. Maceió’s first branch was created in June 1966, with the first stake organized in January 1982. Currently, Alagoas has approximately 14,000 Latter-day Saints, with five stakes headquartered in Maceió.
Brazil has 24 temples in various stages of operation, construction and planning.
The country’s 12 operating temples include the São Paulo (dedicated in 1978), Recife (2000), Porto Alegre (2000), Campinas (2002), Curitiba (2008), Manaus (2012), Fortaleza (2019), Rio de Janeiro (2022), Belém (2022), Brasília (2023), Salvador (2024) and Belo Horizonte (2026) temples. The latter was dedicated on Aug. 16 by Church President Dallin H. Oaks.
Seven houses of the Lord are under construction in Brazil, with Maceió now joining the Ribeirão Preto (2024), Londrina (2024), Natal (2025), João Pessoa (January 2026), Teresina (April 2026) and Santos (August 2026) temples.
That leaves five temples in planning and design stages, for São Paulo East (announced 2020), Vitória (2021), Goiânia (2023), Florianópolis (2024) and Campo Grande (2025).
