Rio’s Christ statue adorned with welcome message for Taylor Swift
Welcome to Brazil, Taylor Swift: It’s been waiting for you.
As her sweep of Rio de Janeiro shows got underway this week, the pop superstar and her legions of devoted fans were greeted by the wide-open arms of the world’s most famous Christ statue, sporting a projected image of a Swift-inspired T-shirt.
Charitable Act Illuminates Christ the Redeemer for Taylor Swift
The 125-foot Christ the Redeemer was illuminated Thursday night with a towering message welcoming the singer to the country for the latest leg of her Eras Tour. The grand show of hospitality was thanks to a charitable act by her fans and orchestrated by the Christ the Redeemer Archdiocesan Sanctuary, which manages the iconic statue.
On social media, Swifties asked Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes to project onto the statue a likeness of the “Junior Jewels” shirt from Swift’s “You Belong with Me” music video. Their plea went viral. Paes, who once called the singer the “Madonna of our times,” said he’d take the matter to the Rev. Omar Raposo, the rector of the sanctuary.
“Okay, I did my part!” said Paes on X, formerly known as Twitter. “From today onwards, I ask all fan clubs to direct their requests about the Sanctuary of Christ the Redeemer to our beloved Archdiocese. Friend Father Omar, the ball is in your court!”
In exchange for the projection, the priest, who runs the popular Catholic site, challenged Swifties to raise money to buy food and drinks for the upcoming Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor, which will be marked on Sunday.
In one day of crowdfunding, fans raised about 180,000 reais (about $37,000), which covered the cost of 20,000 loaves of panettones, a traditional sweet yeast bread, and bottled water for Rio’s homeless, a statement from the sanctuary said.
With the fundraising goal met, the statue was lit Thursday night. A small team from the sanctuary and a few Swifties started distributing the food and drink to those in need that evening.
“Young people like challenges. So we directed the energy of fans to do good,” said Raposo, who also is pastor of Rio’s São José da Lagoa parish.
“This can and will be replicated! It’s a mobilization for solidarity, Christ the Redeemer descending the Corcovado mountain to impact society.”
The statue, viewed as a global symbol of Christianity, was inaugurated nearly 100 years ago, and a priest came up with the idea for it even earlier, according to the monument’s official site. Today, the Christ statue with its arms wide open welcomes millions of selfie-snapping tourists each year. In 2017, it was elected as one of the new seven Wonders of the World.
Rio is far from the only place to give Swift a special welcome for her Eras Tour. Cities across the United States paid homage to Swift — from declaring her the honorary mayor of the day to renaming stadiums.
Currently on her international leg of the tour, thousands of fans also recently gathered for the superstar’s first-ever concert in Argentina, which took a political turn ahead of the country’s presidential elections. Swift will play six Eras shows in Brazil. The first three will be at Rio’s Estádio Nilton Santos beginning on Friday. Next week, she’ll perform in São Paulo at three shows at Allianz Parque stadium.
Hely Olivares, a 41-year-old Venezuelan who works and lives in Panama City, made the trip to Rio to attend what he thinks will be “one of those concerts that will make history.”
On the plane, he saw many passengers, some coming from other South American countries, wearing a T-shirt of the Eras Tour or the singer’s friendship bracelets.
“We did it Swifties!” said a post on the Christ the Redeemer official Instagram account, which showed an aerial 360-degree video of the statue while Swift’s song “You Belong with Me” played. “You were able to show all your love for Taylor and for your neighbor.”
How did Swifties in Brazil raise funds for the Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor and what was the outcome of their efforts
Brazilian fans of Taylor Swift have given the pop superstar and her team a warm welcome as she embarked on her tour in Rio de Janeiro. The world-renowned Christ the Redeemer statue was illuminated with a projected image of a Taylor Swift-inspired T-shirt, symbolizing the excitement and anticipation surrounding her visit.
This grand gesture was made possible through the efforts of Swift’s fans, known as Swifties, who organized a charitable act to welcome the singer to Brazil. The Christ the Redeemer Archdiocesan Sanctuary, responsible for managing the iconic statue, played a key role in orchestrating this event.
Swifties took to social media and requested Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes to project an image of the “Junior Jewels” shirt, featured in Swift’s “You Belong with Me” music video, onto the statue. The plea quickly went viral, capturing the attention of Mayor Paes, who had previously referred to Swift as the “Madonna of our times.”
Mayor Paes, fulfilling his promise to the fans, took the matter to the Rev. Omar Raposo, the rector of the sanctuary. He announced on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had done his part and requested all fan clubs to direct their requests to the Archdiocese. The ball was now in the court of Father Omar.
In return for the projection, Father Omar issued a challenge to the Swifties. He asked them to raise funds to purchase food and drinks for the upcoming Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor, which would be observed on Sunday. Swifties enthusiastically accepted the challenge and initiated a crowdfunding campaign.
In just one day, the fans managed to raise approximately 180,000 reais, equivalent to $37,000. This amount covered the cost of 20,000 loaves of panettones, a traditional sweet yeast bread, and bottled water for Rio’s homeless population. The sanctuary released a statement expressing their gratitude for the generosity of the fans and their achievement in meeting the fundraising goal.
Following the successful crowdfunding efforts, the Christ the Redeemer statue was illuminated on Thursday night. A small team from the sanctuary, along with a group of Swifties, distributed the food and drinks to those in need that evening.
This heartwarming display of support and charity towards Taylor Swift highlights the strong connection between the artist and her fans in Brazil. The generosity of the fans not only brought joy to the singer but also made a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate in Rio de Janeiro.
As Taylor Swift continues her tour in Brazil, it is evident that the country has been eagerly waiting for her arrival. The love and dedication of her Brazilian fanbase, as demonstrated through this charitable act, serve as a reminder of the power of music to bring people together and make a meaningful difference in society.
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