Curitiba Brazil Temple
The Curitiba Brazil Temple is a temple of the Church of [Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The intent to build the temple was announced in a letter to local leaders on August 23, 2002, by the First Presidency. The temple is the fifth in Brazil, the first in the state of Paraná, and the church's 126th worldwide. The temple has a single spire with a gold-leafed angel Moroni statue on its top. Designed by Jeronimo da Cunha Lima of Brazil and GSBS of the United States, the temple is on 8.15 acres of land and the building is 27,850 square feet.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 10, 2005, conducted by Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the [Twelve Apostles (LDS Church)|Quorum of the Twelve Apostles]. The temple was dedicated on June 1, 2008, with four sessions held, by church president Thomas S. Monson. More than 50 years before the temple's construction, church president Spencer W. Kimball prophesied at the 1953 dedication of the Ipomeia meetinghouse that one day the region would have a temple. The temple serves church members in the Brazilian states of Paraná and Santa Catarina.
History
The First Presidency announced the construction of the Curitiba Brazil Temple on August 23, 2002. At the same time, letters were sent to local church leaders also announcing the Panama City Panama Temple. Church president Gordon B. Hinckley selected the temple site in 2004 during his travels to rededicate the São Paulo Brazil Temple.On February 16, 2005, church authorities met with city officials, including Mayor Beto Richa, to announce the pending construction of the temple. They explained the significance of the temple for members in the entire region and presented two church programs: Helping Hands and the Perpetual Education Fund. Mayor Richa expressed enthusiasm for the service provided through Helping Hands. When presented with a statue representing family ties, the mayor said he would place it in his home as a reminder of his own family.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 10, 2005. Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, presided at the ceremony and dedicated the site in Portuguese. An audience of approximately 1,200 attended the ceremony. Vice-Mayor Luciano Ducci, representing Mayor Richa, participated in the ceremonial dig. In his remarks, Vice-Mayor Ducci referred to the groundbreaking as a beautiful gift for Curitiba, which celebrated its anniversary 19 days later on March 29. As construction progressed, the angel Moroni statue was installed on the temple's spire on January 11, 2008.
After construction was completed, the church announced the public open house that was held from May 10 through May 24, 2008, excluding Sundays. VIP and media tours were conducted on May 8, 2008. During the open house, approximately 40,000 visitors toured the temple. The secretary of the mayor of Curitiba visited the temple during the open house and, being impressed with the building's beauty, called the mayor immediately after the tour to recommend he visit.
A cultural celebration was held on May 31, 2008, the evening before the dedication. At Curitiba's Arena da Baixada, 4,330 church members participated on the field, backed by 1,700 voices, to present the celebration. The program combined music, dance, drama, gymnastics, scripting, costuming, direction, staging, and technology to tell the church's story from its founding in New York to the dedication of the temple in Curitiba. When photographs of James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, and William Grant Bangerter, a church general authority, were displayed during the program, the audience erupted in cheers. The program related the story of their discouragement and prayers during their missionary service, which resulted in them feeling inspired that their work would bear fruit. Church president Thomas S. Monson compared the cultural celebration to the opening ceremony of the Olympics.The Curitiba Brazil Temple was dedicated by Monson on June 1, 2008. Four dedicatory sessions were held, each filled to capacity by local church members. Other church members in the temple district watched a broadcast of the ceremony from their local meetinghouses. Monson was joined by Russell M. Nelson and Charles Didier, president of the church's Brazil Area. Those who attended the fourth temple session sang "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" as Monson exited the temple and walked to his car. Monson's trip to dedicate the temple was his first trip outside North America as church president.
After the temple's dedicatory ceremonies concluded, Didier stated that the temple represented new hope in a world where there is little hope. He described church members in Brazil as dedicated and committed to the gospel.
James E. Faust served as a young missionary in Curitiba and later presided over South America as a general authority. Church president Gordon B. Hinckley planned to take Faust with him to dedicate the temple, but both passed away in the months preceding the dedication.
In 2020, like all the church's others, the Curitiba Brazil Temple was closed for a time in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design and architecture
The temple is on an 8.15-acre plot in the Campo Comprido district of western Curitiba, located at Rua Deputado Heitor Alencar Furtado, 3641, near the Barigui Shopping Center. The landscaping around the temple has a large water feature, gardens, and numerous trees. The grounds are open to the public.The structure is 125 feet, 2 inches to the top of the angel Moroni statue, which is 14 feet, 2 inches tall itself. The building is 27,850 square feet, and the exterior has reinforced concrete cast onsite, with sienna white granite native to the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Thirty art-glass window panes, created by artist Jurgen Dzierzon, are part of the exterior.
The temple has two ordinance rooms, two sealing rooms, and a baptistry. Woodwork and trim were created locally from ipê wood, native to Brazil. Original murals painted by local artist Alexandre Reider are inside. Stone and tile were imported from Spain. Granite wall dividers and table tops from the state of Espírito Santo are used in the temple, along with native Brazilian ceramics and vases.The baptistry oxen are of molded fiberglass. Artwork inside the temple depicts Jesus Christ as well as local natural landscapes.
The floor plan created for the Curitiba Brazil Temple was adapted and used for the Vancouver British Columbia and Manaus Brazil Temple