João Maria de Jesus

Life

Anastás Marcaf, likely a Syrian of Greek descent, was the original name of the man known as João Maria de Jesus. He entered Brazil from Argentina in 1886. When people asked about his origins, he claimed to have been born at sea and raised in Buenos Aires.

Stories surrounding him include that he left Christianity to wed a non-believer and fought against a French expeditionary force. After his wife died, he was captured, escaped, and then received a vision from the apostle Paul, who ordered him to wander for 14 or perhaps 40 years as penance. Other tales say he committed a crime or seduced a nun, and his punishment was to roam the wilderness alone.

During the 1890s, he started traveling through southern Brazil. He described a dream in which he was told to walk the earth for fourteen years, abstaining from meat on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and never staying in anyone’s home.

With his long white beard and lifestyle, he resembled João Maria D’Agostini, an earlier preacher and healer in the area. He followed D’Agostini’s route and blessed several springs. By taking the first monk’s name and aura of holiness, he built trust with the people, though he never said he was D’Agostini reborn.

During the Federalist Revolution from 1893 to 1895, he cared for wounded rebels. His messages were prophetic and grim: he warned that God would send insect plagues and bloody wars to punish humanity. He believed the First Brazilian Republic, established in 1889, was the devil’s doing and argued for bringing back the monarchy as God’s intended order. Doctor and federalist colonel Angelo Dourado met him, and João Maria said he had predicted the ongoing conflict, adding that the republicans were driven by the devil and had resources, but the other side would triumph even without weapons.

João Maria gained fame as a healer, with people considering his remedies miraculous. It was said he could heal someone just by praying for them and prescribing a tea made from a common herb called “monk’s broom.” He once remarked, “He who does not know how to read the book of nature is illiterate in God’s eyes.” His followers believed any object or place he touched became sacred and could pass on his blessings after he left. He steered clear of large crowds and never stayed long in one spot, making him less of a recluse than the first João Maria.

Legends

According to local folklore, João Maria de Jesus once passed through Ponta Grossa in the early 1900s, where children playing in the street threw stones at him. Instead of reacting angrily, the monk calmly predicted that the stones would multiply and return to the town one day. Legend says that on September 11, 1906, a heavy fall of stones did indeed rain down, damaging or destroying several houses. This story is one of several where the monk showed a harsh side when offended.

Other tales describe him sitting outside during storms without getting wet, or being able to pray in his cave while simultaneously appearing beside a sick person to help them. He was also credited with becoming invisible to his enemies, walking on river water, driving out evil spirits, and calming storms. People believed he was immune to attacks from both Indigenous people and wild animals, and many stories recount his healing powers. These legends have become a lasting part of the region's folklore.

Legacy

João Maria de Jesus and João Maria D'Agostini are the two most famous figures among a group of monks all called João Maria who traveled through the region preaching during the late 1800s. Although scholars have written a great deal about these monks, the faithful who revere them care little about historical accuracy and focus instead on the holy powers they are believed to possess. Even today, some people believe that João Maria, now over two centuries old, still roams the countryside performing miracles. Across central and eastern Paraná and Santa Catarina, southern São Paulo, and northern Rio Grande do Sul, you can find small altars or crosses marking spots where one of the João Marias is said to have passed.

All the wanderers recognized as the monk or prophet João Maria share strong similarities. They are pilgrims with no home or family, having turned away from worldly pleasures to serve God through penance. They preach about the Apocalypse, when God will punish all sinners. They are credited with miraculous healing powers and are considered immortal.

In 1898, a photographer named Herculano Fonseca from Ponta Grossa took pictures of João Maria de Jesus. These photographs were later copied by Giácomo Geremia, a photographer from Caxias do Sul, who sold many copies. During the 1970s and 1980s, leaders of the Indian Missionary Council distributed these images widely among the local Kaingang and Xokleng people.

The photographs are still commonly reproduced in southern Brazil today. Some prints carry the caption "Prophéta Jõao Maria de Jesúz, 180 anos." Others label him "Santo" with the text "João Maria de Jesus com 188 anos," which would place his birth around the time the first João Maria was born. A painting based on one of the photos bears the legend "Jõao Maria de Agostinho Propheta," showing the confusion with the earlier monk.

The monk once stayed near a spring in the Uvaranas neighborhood of Ponta Grossa. As of 2012, devotees were still visiting that site. The woman who tended the location at the time said she had seen three apparitions of João Maria de Jesus.