Arriving at Mancha Blanca is, for any inhabitant of the island of Lanzarote, a moment of reunion with the tradition and veneration that is held for the Virgen de los Dolores, which is linked to the history of fire and lava that has made these lands a unique place in the context of the Canary Islands. Arriving in September, in the days when the pilgrimage and offering to the Virgen de los Dolores was celebrated, is inevitably a moment of intimate emotion for any conejero, as the joy of other times is nostalgically remembered.
And so we saw the Mayor of Arrecife, Ástrid Pérez, "very excited" to deposit at the feet of the Virgen de los Volcanes the offering made on behalf of her people who, due to the conditions imposed by the pandemic, has not been able to pilgrimage, and that this year has had to be done municipality by municipality, in a staggered manner.
Ástrid Pérez delivered food and non-perishable products, as well as material for hygiene and personal care, destined to meet the social demand that is attended to by NGOs, soup kitchens and religious entities.
In the words of the mayor of Arrecife: "these are times to continue helping the most vulnerable, people with few welfare resources, and if it is done through the intersection of the Virgen de los Dolores, everything seems to multiply."