a freguesia was the denomination for a small administrative division during he portuguese empire - saquarema was only declared a city in 1890, after a series of economic contractions and expansions related to the coffee trade in the region, that kept saquarema a freguesia until 1861.

with the arrival of the christian missionaries, a small chapel was constructed in 1662, which eventually required a larger church to be built in 1675 - a bigger  building required a relocation of the chapel, and this in turn lead to the creation of a local legend.

according to the myth, it seems that our lady had her own opinion as to where her new church should be, and her multiple apparitions convinced the town's priests and residents that she wanted her church, where it stands today, by the ocean.