Padre Bernardo - History

History

In the mid 30's,pilgrims from the neighboring regions, specially from the Broads of Angicos (Vao dos Angicos), started the tradition of worshiping the Divine Holy Spirit, at the area which was being developed the community/town. In 1951, lands where donated for religious purpose/activities by Mr. Jeronimo de Amorim, who contributed with ten alqueires of land to the Divine Hole Spirit (Catholic Church), where today it is located the little Church of the Divine (Igrejinha do Divino). However, the greatest contribution to the creation and development of the city, was given by the Professor Jose Monteiro Lima. Hence, in 1957, the urban nucleus was founded by the professor, Mr. JOSE MONTEIRO LIMA, whose divided his farm, the Barro Alto farm, in lots, donating it to the poor/ families with financial difficulties, and selling it to the ones who wanted to live in that region, with the finality/goal to give the great push for the emancipation of the district. This occupation developed about 12 kilometer south of the Maranhao River, on the shores/streams of the Barro Alto creek. The name Padre Bernardo was official in 1955, named after and in recognition to the work of to the catholic priest of Luziânia, Bernardo Stocker, a German missioner, who often visited the new city to conduct weddings ceremonies, baptize, and ministry the religious necessities of the bernardian (people from Padre Bernardo) population. Padre Bernard Stocker died in 1955 and is buried in a chapel at the city of Luziania-GO. In 1963, by a project law, authorship by the State of Goias Legislative Representant, Mr. Olinto Meireles, and by the Goias state law number 4797, the district was elevated to the category of Municipality, being part of the judiciary county of Luziania. That law was approved on the 9th day of may of 1964. (Goias State Law number 4797, 05/09/64). The history of Padre Bernardo, Goias is written in its original in Portuguese and it is a Municipal Law and anyone can get a free copy of it at the Town of Padre Bernardo-Goias city Council (Camara Municipal de Padre Bernardo). (Translated by Helton Monteiro-Neves(nevesh@aol.com))