The small whitewashed Church of São Benedito was built in the late 18th century by Paranaguá's enslaved Afro-Brazilian community, who were forbidden from worshipping in the larger churches in the centre. São Benedito (Saint Benedict the Moor) is the patron saint of Black Catholics in Brazil, and the church became the focus of religious life for the city's African population.
The interior is simple but striking — gilded wooden altars, painted ceiling panels, and the small original statue of the saint. Sunday morning mass still draws a regular congregation. The church sits a short walk uphill from the waterfront and is easy to combine with a visit to the larger Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário.