Marcelino Manuel da Graça facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marcelino Manuel da Graça
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Statue of Daddy Grace outside his mausoleum in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
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| Born | January 25, 1881 or 1884 Brava, Portuguese Cape Verde
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| Died | January 12, 1960 (aged 76 or 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Pine Grove Cemetery, New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Other names | Bishop Grace, Sweet Daddy Grace |
| Occupation | Bishop |
| Known for | Founder of the United House of Prayer For All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith |
Marcelino Manuel da Graça (born January 25, 1881 or 1884 – died January 12, 1960) was a famous religious leader. He was better known as Charles Manuel "Sweet Daddy" Grace or just Daddy Grace. He founded a Christian church called the United House of Prayer For All People. This church was mostly for African-American people. Many of his followers believed he could perform miracles, like healing people. They saw his work as a special sign from God.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Marcelino Manuel da Graça was born on January 25. His parents were Manuel and Gertrude da Graça. He was born in Brava, one of the Cape Verde Islands. These islands were a Portuguese territory off the coast of Africa. We don't know his exact birth year, but it was either 1881 or 1884.
Marcelino had one brother named Benventura and four sisters. His family moved to America in 1902. Marcelino himself visited America in 1903 and then came to stay in 1904.
Marriages and Children
Marcelino Grace was married two times. His first wife was Jane "Jennie" Lomba. They married in 1909. They had a daughter, Irene, and a son, Norman. Norman passed away in 1947.
His second wife was Angelina Montano. They married in 1932 and had a son named Marcelino. They later separated in 1937.
Family's Faith Journey
In their home country, the da Graça family were Roman Catholics. When they moved to the United States, they explored different Christian faiths. Marcelino's brother, Benventura, became a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene.
However, Marcelino was seen as a "special child" in his family. He chose a different path. He started his own unique Christian ministry. It was said that he felt called by God to preach from a young age.
Founding the United House of Prayer
After working as a railway cook, Marcelino Manuel da Graça began his ministry. He started using the name Charles Manuel Grace and took on the title "Bishop." In 1919, he built the very first House of Prayer. It was in West Wareham, Massachusetts. It cost only $39 to build!
He soon opened more churches in places like Charlotte, North Carolina and Newark, New Jersey. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Bishop Grace traveled all over America. He preached and created many branches of the United House of Prayer for All People.
Church's Mission
The church's rules, written in 1929, stated its main goal. It was "to build and keep places of worship where all people can gather to pray." This was for everyone, no matter their religious group. Bishop Grace traveled through the southern states, which were segregated at the time. He preached to mixed groups of people, years before the Civil Rights Movement.
Bishop Grace passed away in 1960. He is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Belief in Miracles
Bishop Grace and his followers believed that miracles still happen today. They felt that the amazing stories of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Bible were not just from the past. As "Daddy Grace," he was known by his followers as a faith healer and a miracle worker.
Grace also claimed that he could bring people back to life. His younger sister, Jeannie (Eugenia), reportedly died and was brought back by him. She would travel with him and share her story.
Daddy Grace's Unique Style
Grace was like an early version of today's "celebrity preacher." He was active in the early to mid-1900s. He liked to get attention with his unique style. He wore brightly colored suits with bold, different-colored trim. He also wore shiny buttons and expensive jewelry. He even had long, unpainted fingernails.
Lasting Impact and Legacy
The biggest result of Bishop Grace's 40 years of ministry is the church he founded. It is known as the United House of Prayer For All People. Each leader who follows him is also called "Daddy." They continue the one-person leadership style that Bishop Grace started.
Other churches in the USA also got their start from Bishop Grace's work. One important example is the "House of the Lord Pentecostal Church on the Mount" in New York City.
See also
- United House of Prayer for All People
- Religion in Black America
