Lanzarote celebrates with faith and tradition the big day of its patron saint, San Marcial del Rubicón

With the solemnity that one of the island's most deeply rooted religious celebrations deserves, the town of Femés and Lanzarote in general experienced this Tuesday an intense day of faith, devotion, and tradition on the occasion of the feast of San Marcial del Rubicón, Patron of Lanzarote and Co-patron of the Diocese of Canarias.

At 7:00 p.m., the Solemn Eucharist began in the tent set up in the Femés square next to the parish church, where the revered image of San Marcial del Rubicón presided over the altar. The celebration was presided over by the parish priest of the municipality of Tías, Leonardo José Graterol, assisted by the parish priest of the municipality of Yaiza and Archpriest of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Jonathan Almeida.

The ceremony, deeply participatory and full of contemplation, registered a full house. Numerous pilgrims and devotees from different parts of Lanzarote came, one more year, to Femés to renew their promises and pay homage to the patron saint, in a manifestation of faith that continues to be transmitted from generation to generation.

After the Eucharist, the solemn procession through the streets near the temple began. The procession was opened by the War Band nº 3 of the "Canarias XVI" Brigade, belonging to the "Soria" nº 9 Infantry Regiment, displaced from the sister island of Fuerteventura and directed by soldier José María de la Peña Fernández. Their presence responded to the express wish of this year's festival announcer, Víctor Julián Cáceres, and the Festival Commission, providing a brilliant military setting for a celebration with deep historical roots.

Behind the band marched the celebrating priests accompanying the image of San Marcial del Rubicón, followed by the municipal and island authorities and by hundreds of faithful who walked, amidst prayers and displays of fervor, through the streets of Femés.

Upon the arrival of the procession at the temple, another of the day's great protagonists awaited; the Timbayba Cultural Musical Group, from Tinajo, directed by Professor Clotildo Martín, which offered a brilliant display of Lanzarote folklore with its traditional songs and dances. The performance also had a very special meaning, as the group was celebrating the "40th Anniversary of its Foundation," an anniversary that made their participation even more emotional on such a significant date for the island of Lanzarote.

The numerous audience recognized Timbayba's excellent work with a long and sustained ovation, rewarding four decades of dedication and defense of Lanzarote's popular traditions.

Finally, amid emotional cheers for San Marcial del Rubicón and with a thunderous ovation of applause, the revered image crossed the church portal again, putting the finishing touch on an unforgettable day, marked by faith, history, identity, and the deep feeling that the people of Lanzarote profess for whom, for centuries, has been their Patron and Co-Patron of the Diocese of the Canary Islands.

Because there are celebrations that transcend the calendar to become living heritage of a people. The festivity of San Marcial del Rubicón is one of them. A meeting where history, tradition, and devotion walk together, keeping alive the memory of Lanzarote and the spiritual legacy of its ancestors.