This August 24, the feast day of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, the first lights of dawn were accompanied, as tradition dictates, by the ringing of the bells of the Main Church of San Bartolomé de Lanzarote. Its sound announced to the neighbors that the big day had arrived, a very special day to celebrate and honor the Patron Saint of the municipality.
It was a day to show off the best clothes, to reconnect with traditions, and, above all, to experience with faith and devotion a celebration that is part of the history and identity of this town.
At twelve noon, the Solemn Eucharist began, presided over by Juan Carlos Medina Medina, parish priest of San Ginés in Arrecife and Diocesan Vicar of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and La Graciosa. He was accompanied in the celebration by Francisco José García, parish priest of San Bartolomé and San Roque in Tinajo, Carlos María Marrero, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Jonathan Almeida, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios in Yaiza and Dean of Lanzarote; and Alejandro Carmona, Parish Vicar of San Juan Bautista de Telde, in Gran Canaria.
The songs that provided solemn accompaniment to such a notable celebration were performed by the Coral de Tinajo, directed by Professor Rubén Fariña, while the musical part was masterfully accompanied by the chords of the organ, performed by the organ builder and restorer D. Alejandro Rodríguez Rubio.
The image of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, one of the most outstanding in the Canary Islands both for its beauty and its dimensions, once again occupied the place of honor on this festive day. Regarding its origin, it is known that it arrived at the parish at the beginning of the 19th century, aboard a ship from Seville, and has since become an inseparable part of the religious and sentimental history of the residents of San Bartolomé.
The Patron Saint also has his own anthem, a beautiful composition born from the feelings of the neighbors. The lyrics are by María de los Ángeles Cabrera and José Hernández, with music by Heraclio Sánchez. The work was premiered thirty years ago on the occasion of the Parish's Bicentennial celebration and has since become another expression of identity and devotion to Saint Bartholomew the Apostle.
On this festivity, both the image of the Apostle and the interior of the temple displayed an elegant and careful floral ornamentation, further enhancing the solemnity and beauty of a day so eagerly awaited by the residents and by those who return each year to reconnect with their roots.
After the Solemn Eucharist, the ringing of the bells and the sound of fireworks announced one of the most anticipated moments: the departure of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle from his temple. Upon crossing the church's portico, the image was received with a prolonged ovation, in an atmosphere charged with emotion and devotion.
The procession was led by the Municipal Band of Music of San Bartolomé, followed by the image of the Apostle, the celebrating priests, the civil and military authorities, headed by the mayor of the municipality, Isidro Pérez Martín, and numerous parishioners who wished to accompany the Patron Saint through the main streets of the town.
It was a journey full of feelings, memories, and expressions of affection towards Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, in which tradition and faith once again walked together through the streets of this Lanzarote municipality.
Upon their return to the temple, Saint Bartholomew the Apostle was bid farewell amidst the ringing of bells, applause, and cheers from the numerous faithful who were reluctant to bring a close to such a special day.
Thus concluded another festivity of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, a celebration that, year after year, writes another page in the history of this municipality and keeps alive traditions that are part of its heritage and the collective way of life of its people.
"A day of joy and nostalgia"
For the one writing these lines, today's day has an even more special meaning. San Bartolomé is my hometown. Although I have resided in Arrecife since 1960, I have never forgotten my roots or the memories of those years when my family decided to leave the town in search of a better standard of living for everyone.
But there are places that one can leave physically and that never leave the heart. San Bartolomé is one of them.
That is why, whenever I can return, I feel the need to visit my Patron Saint, to contemplate his image again, and to reconnect, even if only for a few moments, with that town that is part of my life and my personal history.
Today, while contemplating the celebration, hearing the bells, seeing the Saint emerge, and feeling the affection of its residents, joy has inevitably mixed with nostalgia.
Perhaps it is because the years pass, because the memories remain or because. on days like today, one understands that roots are never forgotten.
Today San Bartolomé has once again celebrated its Patron Saint. And I, from the distance of so many years, have once again felt, for a few hours, that child from San Bartolomé who never stopped carrying his town in his heart.
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