Corpus Christi, or Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, is a feast of the Catholic Church intended to celebrate the Eucharist. Its main purpose is to proclaim and increase the faith of believers in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, publicly giving him the cult of adoration.
Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, dawned on Sunday morning with its streets adorned with the traditional salt carpets, true works of art made by cultural groups from the early hours of Saturday afternoon.
In Arrecife this work is organized by the Department of Culture of the City Council of Arrecife, led by Councilor Abigail González, and the staff integrated in it. This year there was the collaboration of 15 cultural groups, which carried out the preparation of 23 carpets distributed along the streets adjacent to the church of San Ginés Obispo.
For its preparation, a total of 20 tons of salt, dyes, shovels, slats and small utensils were used, which were provided by the Department of Culture.
At 11:00 a.m. this Sunday, with the three naves of the temple packed with parishioners, the Eucharist began, presided over by the parish priest Juan Carlos Medina.
The songs for this special celebration were enlivened by the Parish Choir, directed by the Religion teacher José Juan Umpierrez, to which the voices of the parishioners also joined.
After the Eucharist, the Corpus Christi procession took place, the most solemn of all processions, where the priest walks under the canopy carrying the Blessed Custody in his hands and inside the Sacred Host.
Upon arriving at the portico of the church of San Ginés Obispo, it was received with the National Anthem masterfully performed by the Music Band La Unión Musical de Lanzarote, directed by Professor Pepe Artiles.
At the end of the anthem, with the ringing of bells, the processional retinue was set in motion, presided over by the Blessed Sacrament under Palio, followed by the Music Band and the people walking through the main streets near the church covered by the colorful salt carpets.
Once in the new portico, the members of the Music Band performed some processional chords. With some resounding applause, a religious, social, cultural and festive event of great importance for Catholics came to an end.
