As every September 15, all roads in Lanzarote and La Graciosa converge in the heart of Mancha Blanca, where faith and devotion become one to pay tribute to Our Lady of Sorrows, island patroness.
From the early hours of the morning, a tide of parishioners began to fill the Plaza de Los Dolores, defying the strong heat with the strength of their devotion. At 11:00 a.m. the Solemn Eucharist began, presided over by Monsignor José Mazuelos Pérez, Bishop of the Diocese of the Canary Islands, and concelebrated by his Auxiliary Bishop Don Cristóbal Déniz Hernández, and priests of the island.
The celebration took place on the stage specially installed in the square, allowing the hundreds of faithful to follow with attention and recollection each moment of the ceremony. The Parish Choirs of San Roque and San Ginés gave voice and harmony to the mass, accompanying with their songs a celebration full of emotion and fervor.
Once the Solemn Eucharist was over, the solemn procession began, headed by the Music Band "Peña de San Roque", from Tinajo, directed by Professor Orlando Morales Duarte. After them, the venerated image of the Virgin toured the surroundings of the Sanctuary, accompanied by the bishops, concelebrating priests, civil and military authorities, and a large multitude of faithful who, as they passed, received her with applause, cheers and emotional glances.
When the image of Our Lady of Sorrows returned to the portico of her Sanctuary, the Music Band paid tribute to her by performing the "Canary Islands Anthem", a deeply emotional moment that was greeted with ovations by the hundreds of people who crowded the square. Amidst applause and fervor, the Virgin crossed the threshold of her temple, closing with a golden touch a day marked by faith, tradition and the affection of a people who do not forget their Mother and Protector.
One more year. Mancha Blanca became the spiritual epicenter of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, reaffirming that devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is as alive and rooted as ever, in the hearts of those who walk to meet her.