The white minimalist architecture of the Igreja da Divina Misericórdia in Alfragide beckons. Its serene bell tower stands tall. Gentle lines define its form. This simplicity reflects humanity’s search for God’s divine mercy.
The Igreja da Divina Misericórdia is more than just a building. It’s a testament to faith and community. Its creation was a shared dream. This dream started in 1970. The area was part of the Damaia parish. A vicariate was then created. Services were initially held in the Nossa Senhora de Fátima Seminary chapel.
Father Manuel Martins was appointed as an assistant vicar. His jurisdiction was limited to the Alfragide vicariate. Father Manuel Fernando Ribeiro took over in 1975. Father Adriano Pedrali followed two years later. The Immaculate Heart of Mary became the patron saint in 1981. Father Pedrali worked tirelessly. He was assisted by Father Fernando Fonseca. Their pastoral work expanded. It reached areas now part of the Buraca parish. A childcare center was even started.
Father António de Sousa Braga became responsible in 1983. He served until 1991. Father João de Chaves Bairros became his coadjutor in 1984. The vicariate finally became an independent parish in 1986. It separated from the Damaia parish. Its boundaries aligned with the civil parish of Alfragide. This excluded Alto dos Moinhos and Zambujal.
Father José de Andrade Braga served from 1991 to 2001. He boosted the parish social center. He strengthened community spirit. The parish thrived around the seminary’s chapel and facilities. Father Carlos Manuel Carvalho Correia da Silva became the parish priest in 2001. Father José Jorge de Sousa Alves was his vicar.
The growing population and community mobilization fueled the dream of a new church. A protocol was signed in 2002. Land was allocated by the Amadora Municipal Council and Mabal. The council donated a plot near the Air Force Headquarters in 2005. The Getecno company designed the new church. They were responsible for projects in the surrounding area.
Sunday masses started in 2006 in Quinta Grande. Father Carlos Silva conducted these services in a temporary space. The first stone of the Igreja da Divina Misericórdia was blessed in 2007. This was during the 90th anniversary of the first Fatima apparition. The construction was completed by Sotencil in 2010. The Igreja da Divina Misericórdia opened on October 5th 2010. Cardinal Patriarch José da Cruz Policarpo presided over the dedication ceremony. Even Prime Minister José Sócrates attended. He commemorated the centenary of the Portuguese Republic.
The Igreja da Divina Misericórdia stands as a symbol of faith hope and community. It represents the culmination of a long journey a shared dream realized. A place of peace and reflection. A beacon of divine mercy in Alfragide.