Santos Brazil Temple Groundbreaking Marks Historic Milestone 

The groundbreaking ceremony for the Santos Brazil Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Elder Ronald M. Barcellos of the Brazil Area Presidency presided at the event.

“The construction of this temple will bring glorious blessings into the lives of thousands of people throughout this region,” Elder Barcellos said.

The new temple will be built on the site of the Jabaquara Ward meetinghouse and will be the sixth house of the Lord under construction in Brazil. The temple will serve Latter-day Saints in Santos and surrounding communities along Brazil’s southeastern coast, reflecting the continued growth of the Church and increased access to temple worship in the region. As previously announced, plans call for a two-story temple of approximately 23,000 square feet.

Latter-day Saints, friends and community members participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. Among those present were the Rev. Sérgio Ferreira of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil; Sheikh Mekawi Hussein Mohamad of the Islamic Benevolent Society of the São Paulo Coast; State Representative Solange Freitas; Captain Leandro Gomes Mendes of the Brazilian Navy; Santos Acting Mayor Audrey Kleys; São Vicente Mayor Kayo Amado; city council members from Santos and São Vicente; as well as other community leaders from the region.

After participating in the symbolic turning of the soil, Mayor Kleys spoke about the significance of the Santos Temple.

“Here in Santos, the Church has welcomed and warmly embraced everyone who is part of this community, and from this point forward, we are taking an even more important step,” she said. “The construction of the temple will contribute even more to the development of our region. Therefore, we express our gratitude to all of you.”

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Elder Claudio R. M. Costa, an emeritus General Authority Seventy, spoke about the purpose and blessings of worshiping in the temple.

“Families are at the center of the gospel of Christ. Families will enter the Santos Temple to be married for all eternity,” he said. “They will be sealed to one another forever.”

Elder Barcellos taught that since the beginning of human history, God has established a pattern of worship that enables His children to remain close to Him, remember Jesus Christ and make sacred covenants.

“In temples, we learn more about the nature of God, the Eternal Father, and about the character and mission of the Savior,” Elder Barcellos said. “There we feel closer to Them, feel Their love and mercy, and renew our desire and commitment to take His holy name upon us and live as true disciples of Jesus Christ.”

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Following his remarks, Elder Barcellos offered the dedicatory prayer and consecrated the site for the construction of the temple. He also asked a blessing on the members of the Church in the area and prayed that parents would teach truth to their children through their words and actions and make their homes places where the Spirit of God could dwell.

In addition to the six temples under construction in Brazil, seven more temples have been announced in the country.

Temples differ from the Church’s meetinghouses (chapels). All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at local meetinghouses. The primary purpose of temples is for faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ to participate in sacred ceremonies and make covenants that, through the power of Jesus Christ, allow families to be united forever.