Swimming CASE: GSAF 1947.10.10 DATE: Friday October 10, 1947

ACTIVITY: Swimming
CASE: GSAF 1947.10.10
DATE: Friday October 10, 1947
LOCATION: The attack took place in
the Atlantic Ocean in front of the Little
Chapel of Piedade, Pernambuco,
Brazil. 8°S, 34°E
NAME: Father Serafim De Oliveira
DESCRIPTION: He was a 25-year-old
male, a Carmelite postulant.
BACKGROUND
MOON PHASE: Third Quarter,
October 7, 1947
ENVIRONMENT: The beaches of
Piadade and Boa Viagem, have a
prominent sandbar or reef running
parallel to the shore at a depth of one
to three metres. Inshore is a deep
channel with depths of five to eight
metres. The water is murky throughout
the year, but more so following rain.
Byproducts from sugar farming are
also discharged into the rivers. Shrimp
trawling also takes place inshore and
the discarded bycatch undoubtedly
attracts sharks. Inshore water
temperatures are high and in June
(early winter) it is 26-27°C.
DISTANCE FROM SHORE: 30 feet
Frei Serafim died in front of the little church of Piedade.
NARRATIVE: It was a leisurely day and the postulants had just received permission to
bathe in the sea in front of the chapel. Father Serafim, one of the first to enter the water,
was attacked by a shark, and died in front of the chapel. According to a witness, Friar
Tersio, Friar Serafin was bitten in half by the shark.
INJURY: Fatal.
CASE INVESTIGATOR: Paulo Mariano Lopes, GSAF
© Global Shark Accident File, 2013. All rights reserved. This report may not be abridged or
reproduced in any form without written permission of the Global Shark Accident File.
Morte de padre após ataque de tubarão em Piedade não é lenda
Caso ocorreu em 1947, em frente à Igrejinha de Piedade. Após a morte de frei Serafim, local ficou
conhecido como Convento Maldito
A lista oficial de pessoas atacadas por tubarão no Estado tem início com um caso ocorrido em
1992. Mas relatos de testemunhas e familiares de vítimas revelam que incidentes com esse tipo de
animal em Pernambuco já aconteciam desde o início do século passado. No segundo dia da série
de reportagens Ataque de tubarão: 20 anos, o JC mostra que a história do padre que morreu após
um ataque em frente à Igrejinha de Piedade não é uma lenda.
Quando o assunto é ataque de tubarão, há sempre alguém que menciona a morte de um padre na
frente da Igrejinha de Piedade, mesmo antes dos acidentes começarem a ser contabilizados, em
1992. Se é verdade? Os carmelitas, responsáveis pelo templo, atestam que sim.
“Era Serafim de Oliveira. Ele estava prestes a se consagrar frade quando, num dia de lazer dos
postulantes, foi tomar banho de mar na frente da igrejinha. Assim que entrou na água, deu um
grito e o tubarão o arrastou para o fundo”, relata frei Telésforo, nome religioso de Edvar Machado
Cavalcanti, 89 anos, contemporâneo de Serafim.
O restos mortais do frade, que tinha acabado de completar 25 anos, hoje ocupam uma das 33
gavetas de um ossuário exclusivo de religiosos, por trás da sacristia da Basílica do Carmo, no
Centro do Recife. Na lápide de mármore se lê: “Frei Serafim de Oliveira, 01-10-1922 a 10-101947.”
Frei Telésforo conta que estava em São Paulo, estudando teologia, quando o postulante foi
atacado. “Outro frade que também mora aqui no Convento Carmo (ao lado da basílica), frei
Teréseo Trindade, era da mesma turma e presenciou o ataque”, revela. O religioso, no entanto,
está doente e os superiores do convento evitam expor frei Teréseo a emoções.
Um frade alemão chamado Afonso é quem teria conduzido o grupo até a igrejinha, que funciona
como uma casa de férias dos carmelitas. Era uma sexta-feira. “A Segunda Guerra Mundial tinha
acabado, mas o que se comentava na época é que a movimentação das embarcações americanas
na costa do Nordeste atraía os tubarões”, lembra o carmelita.
Teréseo, segundo o frade, costuma contar que Serafim foi um dos primeiros a entrar na água.
“Quando frei Afonso autorizou o banho, ele vestiu rapidamente o calção e saiu correndo para o
mar. Assim que entrou soltou o grito e foi tragado pelo tubarão”, detalha.
Depois do ataque, o lugar passou a ser considerado um convento maldito, diz o antropólogo e
professor da UFPE frei Tito Figueiroa, 72 anos. “Frades, postulantes, leigos, coroinhas, todo
mundo que aproveitava o lugar para o descanso e lazer ficou com medo de ir pra lá”, lembra o
religioso, que diz ter conhecido frei Serafim quando estudava catecismo.
Death of Father after shark attack in Piedade is not a legend
Case occurred in 1947, in front of the little church of Piedade. After the death of Father
Serafim, the venue became known as Bloody Convent
The official list of people attacked by shark in the state begins with a case occurred in 1992. But
reports from witnesses and relatives of victims reveal that incidents such animal in Pernambuco
have happened since the beginning of last century. On the second day of the series of reports
Shark Attack: 20 years, JC shows that the story of the priest who died after an attack in front of the
little church of Mercy is not a legend.
© Global Shark Accident File, 2013. All rights reserved. This report may not be abridged or
reproduced in any form without written permission of the Global Shark Accident File.
When it comes to shark attack, someone always mentions the death of a priest in front of the little
church of Piedade, even before the accident begin to be counted in 1992. If it is true? The
Carmelites charge of the Temple, so attest.
"It was Serafim de Oliveira. He was about to be consecrated when basking in a leisurely day of
postulants, was bathing in the sea in front of the chapel. As he entered the water, gave a shout and
the shark dragged him to the bottom, "says Friar Telésforo, religious name Edvar Machado
Cavalcanti, 89, a contemporary of Seraphim.
The remains of the friar, who had just turned 25 years old, now occupy one of the 33 drawers of an
ossuary unique religious, behind the sacristy of the Basilica of Carmel, downtown Recife. In marble
tombstone reads: "Frei Serafim de Oliveira, 10/01/1922 to 10/10/1947."
Frei Telésforo account that was in São Paulo, studying theology, when the applicant was attacked.
"Another friar who also lives here in the Carmo Convent (next to the Basilica), Friar Teréseo Trinity,
was of the same class and witnessed the attack," he says. The priest, however, is ill and the
superior of the convent avoid exposing frei Teréseo emotions.
A German friar named Afonso is who would have led the group to the chapel, which serves as a
holiday home of the Carmelites. It was a Friday. "The Second World War was over, but it is
commented at the time that the movement of vessels in the U.S. Northeast coast attracted the
sharks," recalls the Carmelite.
Teréseo, according to the friar, who often rely Serafim was one of the first to enter the water.
"When Friar Alfonso authorized the bathing, he quickly donned his shorts and ran to the sea. Once
inside and let the cry was swallowed by the shark with. "
After the attack, the place came to be considered a convent cursed, says anthropologist and
professor of UFPE Frei Tito Figueroa, 72 years. "Friars, postulants, lay altar servers, everyone
enjoyed the place for rest and recreation was afraid to go there," recalls the religious, who claims to
have known Father Seraphim when studying catechism.
SOURCE: JC Online, June 6, 2012, http://jconline.ne10.uol.com.br/canal/cidades/geral/
noticia/2012/06/25/morte-de-padre-apos-ataque-de-tubarao-em-piedade-nao-e-lenda-46559.php
.
© Global Shark Accident File, 2013. All rights reserved. This report may not be abridged or
reproduced in any form without written permission of the Global Shark Accident File.