The church is dedicated to St. Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus and is located in Madre hill where the nun lived and professed her faith.

[1] St. Paulina was canonized by Pope John Paul II on 19 May 2002 in a ceremony in St. Peter's Square, thereby becoming Brazil's first female saint.

[2] Construction began shortly afterwards after approval from the general assembly of the Little Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the congregation founded by St. Paulina, and completed in 926 days on 22 January 2006.

It overlooks the Tijucas River valley, and can be accessed by a flight of 113 steps or a 170-metre (560 ft) long ramp.

The Chapel of our Lady of Lourdes, a smaller and older church in the complex, was originally declared the sanctuary of St. Paulina by Eusébio Scheid, then the Archbishop of Florianópolis on 9 July 1998.