As every July 31, the men and women of Lanzarote come to Mancha Blanca to renew the promise made in 1824 by the residents of Tinajo, La Vegueta, Tiagua and Tao to Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores. That day, at seven in the morning, the Capellanía del Clérigo Duarte volcano erupted, between the towns of Tao and Tiagua. Faced with fear, the neighbors implored the Virgin to stop the lava and, as a sign of gratitude, they promised to celebrate a mass of thanksgiving every year and a procession around the hermitage.
This past Thursday there were many men and women who met in Mancha Blanca and on one side of the hermitage participated in the celebration of the Eucharist presided over by Yonathan Almeida, parish priest of Yaiza, assisted by Francisco José García, parish priest of San Roque and San Bartolomé, and Pedro Bermúdez, parish priest of Victoria de Acentejo in Tenerife.
The parishioners filled the permitted capacity and the surroundings, participating with deep recollection and devotion. The singing of the Hymn to Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores marked the end of the Eucharist and gave way to the traditional procession around the hermitage, accompanied by songs and cheers to the Virgin. One of the most emotional moments was experienced when the image of the Virgin crossed the portico of the temple, surrounded by applause and popular fervor.
