With great solemnity, emotion, and fervor, Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote, celebrated the big day of its patron saint festivities in honor of San Ginés Obispo, a day deeply rooted in the history and heart of generations of Arrecifeños.
At twelve noon, the three naves of the church of San Ginés Obispo were completely occupied by parishioners who wished to participate in the celebration of this special date. Many arrived in advance to secure a spot inside the temple, while the stragglers followed the ceremony from the entrance portico and from the surroundings of Plaza de Las Palmas.
Devotion to San Ginés Obispo has been part of the religious and cultural identity of Arrecife for centuries. The venerated image of the Saint arrived in the capital and was installed in the old hermitage, now the parish church of San Ginés Obispo, in 1798, after being donated by Captain Ginés de Castro, a benefactor of the church. However, devotion to the saint was already rooted in Arrecife even before the arrival of the current image.
The Solemn Eucharist was presided over by the Reverend Carlos María Marrero, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios, in Casablanca, Dean of the Southern Cone of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and professor at the Higher Institute of Theology of the Canary Islands in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Along with the celebrant, Juan Carlos Medina Medina, parish priest of San Ginés Obispo and Diocesan Vicar of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Graciosa; don Jonathan Almeida Romero, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios of Yaiza and Archpriest of Lanzarote; don Leonardo José Graterol Briceño, parish priest of Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria of Tías and Chaplain of the Tahíche Penitentiary Center; don Alejandro Carmona Arrocha, son of the parish and recently appointed Parish Vicar of San Juan Bautista in Telde, Gran Canaria; don Francisco José García Socorro, parish priest of Tinajo and San Bartolomé and of the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, in Mancha Blanca; don Leonardo Arellano, formator of the diocesan seminary in Venezuela, who during this summer is pastorally collaborating in parishes on the island; don Jean Carlos Godoyruza, Venezuelan priest and Theology student in Rome, who is also collaborating during the summer in the parishes of Arrecife; and don Francisco Javier López López, priest of the Congregation of the Mission, Paúles Fathers, assigned in Albacete, participated in this solemn concelebration.
The celebration had an extraordinary participation of faithful, as happens every year on this great day for Arrecife. Numerous visitors who are enjoying their holidays in Lanzarote and who wanted to come to the church to experience one of the city's most important religious traditions up close joined the residents of the capital.
The songs that accompanied the celebration were performed by the Parish Choir directed by Professor Héctor Araya Alarcón, to which the voices of numerous parishioners were added, creating an especially solemn and emotional atmosphere inside the temple.
The church of San Ginés Obispo, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, with the category of Monument, on November 13, 1990 by the Government of the Canary Islands, looked its best for this occasion. The main altar and the three naves were carefully decorated for a celebration that constitutes one of the culminating moments of Arrecife's religious calendar.
In the center of all eyes was the revered image of San Ginés Obispo, placed on its silver throne and surrounded by floral ornamentation that further enhanced the beauty of the carving. According to historians, the image dates from the late 18th century and was carved in Havana, Cuba. It was Captain Ginés de Castro who donated it to the church, thus perpetuating a devotion that has lasted to this day.
The Solemnity was experienced with intensity and participation. Civil and military authorities, priests, neighbors, and visitors followed with attention a celebration that once again highlighted the deep connection between San Ginés and the city of Arrecife.
And then came one of the most anticipated moments of the day.
At the end of the Solemn Eucharist, the ringing of the bells announced that San Ginés Obispo was preparing to leave the temple to tour, for another year, the streets of his city.
When the image crossed the church portico, a great ovation broke the silence. Applause and cheers for the Patron Saint followed as the revered image began its processional route.
The La Unión musical de Lanzarote Music Band, led by Professor Pepe Artiles, opened the parade, providing solemn music for the procession's passage. Behind the band advanced the image of San Ginés Obispo, accompanied by the celebrating priests, civil and military authorities, and hundreds of parishioners who wanted to accompany the Patron through the streets of the capital.
Arrecife met its Saint again. The streets became the scene of a demonstration of faith, tradition, and collective feeling. Entire families, the elderly, the young, and visitors followed the route, while their eyes turned again and again towards the image of the Patron.
After completing the processional route, San Ginés returned again to the doors of his church. Before the image crossed the portico again, the Music Band performed several processional marches that were received with great applause by the numerous public gathered in Plaza de Las Palmas and its surroundings.
And, once again, the bells rang again.
Applause, cheers, and expressions of emotion accompanied the farewell of San Ginés Obispo, as the image returned inside the temple.
Thus concluded a historic day for Arrecife, marked by the solemnity of the celebration, the beauty of tradition, and the emotion of a people who, year after year, go out to meet their Patron.
A day in which, beyond the personal beliefs of each one. San Ginés Obispo once again became a meeting point for a city, its history, and its traditions. Because patron saint festivals are also part of the collective memory of peoples and the identity of those who inhabit them.
Arrecife once again paid homage to San Ginés.
And San Ginés, one more year, once again paraded through the streets of the city.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.