Church of Our Lady of Pilar, Catholic church in Duque de Caxias, Brazil

The Church of Our Lady of Pilar is a Catholic place of worship in Duque de Caxias featuring Baroque architectural elements and design. The building incorporates stone and materials that came from the nearby Benedictine monastery.

The first chapel on the site dates from 1612, built by descendants of Gaspar Sardinha, holder of the region's first land grant; in 1696 a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pilar was erected nearby and raised to a parish by Bishop José de Barros Alarcão. The present building went up in 1720 on the Estrada Velha do Pilar beside the Rio Pilar canal, paid for with help from the Fazenda Real and later refurbished with contributions from travellers passing through. Its bricks came from a kiln at the Mosteiro de São Bento in Rio de Janeiro, and a small glass skylight in the facade served as a lookout against Dutch and French corsairs attacking the port of Pilar do Iguaçu.

The church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Pillar, a devotion brought from Portugal, and the image of the patroness is honoured each 12 October. On that day parishes of the Diocese of Duque de Caxias and São João de Meriti walk in pilgrimage to a Mass held in the open area in front of the church. The Romaria do Pilar has existed since 1983, started by Bishop Mauro Morelli, and in 2019 it was registered as intangible heritage of Duque de Caxias.

The church stands on Estrada Velha do Pilar beside the Rio Pilar canal, near the ruins of the old Pilar do Iguaçu port. From central Duque de Caxias, follow Avenida Leonel de Moura Brizola toward Rodovia Washington Luiz through Lote XV in Belford Roxo; the church appears on the left after the Pilar bridge. Coming from Rodovia Washington Luiz, it appears on the right before the bridge.

The bricks were made at a kiln run by the Monastery of São Bento in Rio de Janeiro, not taken from the monastery itself. The church also served as a lookout: a small glass skylight in the facade was used to watch for Dutch and French pirate attacks on the port of Pilar do Iguaçu.