049 march 2019 torrevieja outlook by Andy Ormiston

Torrevieja Outlook

Nº 49 March 2018

Clocks Spring Forward 1 Hour on 25 March

049 March 2018

March Calendar – A month of fiestas – Elche Palms – Orihuela blows its horns – Torrevieja in Holy Week – Mona picnics – Lorca Blue and White – Crevillente Museum – Art in Holy Week – Passion plays – San Vicente Moors & Christian – Valencia on Fire for Fallas – Grants in Spain – Green Spain for Patrick Sparrows nesting – Cinema in English – Goya awards – Passion week for Church of England - Fairy castle in Portugal – Torrevieja needs a rethink – Artist Victor Garcia – Not Open All Hours – Pilgrims Walk..or cycle. aormi@icloud.com

Torrevieja Outlook

Nยบ 49 March 2018

Note Clock changes 25th March

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Torrevieja Outlook

Nº 49 March 2018

MARCH FIESTAS IN THE ALICANTE PROVINCE Change of Clock on 25th March when clocks go forward one hour. 1st March

The fiesta of the Miracle of the Tear is held in Muchamiel (Milagro de la Lágrima). 8th March Procession in Muchamiel. 19th - 29th The Moors & Christian parades in the district of Villafranqueza in Alicante are held. 19th March Fallas de San José are held in Valencia, Benidorm, Calpe, Dénia and Pego. They begin on the 15th but the cremà is held on the 19th. 21st March Almoradi holds a San Emigdio remembrance service of the 1829 earthquake. On the Wednesday which falls in the middle of Lent the Festa del Nanos is held in Cocentaina.

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Nº 49 March 2018

FALLAS These fiestas are well-known internationally and the most spectacular and important are held in Valencia city with the crema on the 19th March when around 700 fallas are set on fire at street corners and in plazas. Other places that celebrate with fallas are: Alicante city, Denia, Calpe, Guardamar del Segura, Pego and Benidorm. Also further afield in Castellon Province - Burriana, Vall d’Uixo, Peñiscola and Viver. In the Murcia region Mazzaron has fallas. In the Valencia area you have - Valencia city, Albalat, Alboraya, Alcasser, Algemesi, Algenet, Azira, Benaguasil, Benifaio, Betera, Buñol, Catarroja, Dos Aguas, Gandia, Manises, Oliva, Ontenient, Otos, Paterna, Picassent, Puzol, Sagunto, Silla, Sueca, Tavernes de la Valldigna, Torrent, Utiel, Xativa among others. This year the Semana Santa processions will also be held in March as Easter Sunday falls on the 1st April.

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Nº 49 March 2018

After the riotous behavior of celebrating Carnival with extravagant costumes that can hide the identity of the revelers we move on into Holy Week processions (Semana Santa). These processions take place the week prior to Easter, which is a movable date dependent on the lunar calendar and is usually in March or April and this year is the last week of March and Easter Sunday on 1st April.

These are equally flamboyant celebrations where once again the identity of those taking part is hidden, this time as ‘capirotes’ under penitential robes and a hood, the regalia of a variety of cofradias (brotherhoods/guilds). Each cofradia has its own colours and usually its own style of lantern, which is a symbol of the guild’s devotion. Most cofradia groups will have a float with a statue representing their devotion, such as The Flagellation of Christ, which would be a figure of Jesus tied to a pillar and whipped. Some cofradias will have more than one image processing on different evenings.

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Nº 49 March 2018

All of these floats are decorated with lights and flowers and are either carried on the shoulders of ‘costaleros’ or moved by a hidden cart underneath the folds of the cloths draping the float or trono as it is called. The costaleros carry the float with the statue on it and they can be dressed in the cofradia’s costume or in matching trousers and shirts. These are the ones who receive the most acclaim during the processions as each group, (from ten men (or women) up to a hundred), tends to play to the crowd, perhaps by lifting the whole float at armslength above their heads, which is no mean feat as you are looking at over a ton in weight in some instances. However, there is a fun side to all this for the spectators as one of the traditions of many Semana Santa processions is the giving away of sweets to the bystanders by the capirotes. The sweets are a reminder that one of the Christian virtues is almsgiving - “it is better to give than to receive”. Some of these sweets are in the shapes of the hooded penitents who walk in the processions. Other sought after sweets are the traditionally made “guirlache” sweets that are made of honey, almonds and sugar.

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Nº 49 March 2018

Elche’s Good Friday custom Elche has an international reputation for its Semana Santa celebrations as it is the centre from which palms are sent to many countries to be burnt and used as ashes for the following year’s Ash Wednesday penitential service. The town is famous for its Palm Sunday procession. Elche is renowned for its palm groves and the procession held on Palm Sunday is particularly worth seeing as thousands line the streets waving their palms or fronds of olive branches. In 2009 a new trono was that of the Virgen de la Palma an image that follows the Malaga style of artistry. A mixture of men and women carried this addition. The Palm Sunday procession has several groups parading on Palm Sunday. - The Samaritans, Maria del Mayor Dolor, San Juan with the Mantillas, El Lavatorio Romans and the Ecce Hombre. There are 26 guilds with 32 thrones: the first guild was that of 16th century Cofradia de la Sangre de Cristo in which the town´s nobles participated. Many of these thrones and their statues are the work of famous artists such as Valentín García Quinto, Lastrucci, José Sánchez Lozano. Another unique custom in Elche’s processions takes place on Good Friday known as la Trencá de Guió. This takes place in the Plaza de Baix and is seen as an augur for the coming year.

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Orihuela processions are opened by a blast from the Gemelas, a pair of one hundred year-old giant horns, the patrimony of the Ayuntamiento. These have been in cold storage for over forty years and now, once again, take an important part in the Semana Santa processions. The town has a long tradition of Holy Week processions with many statues made by Salzillo and his pupils. The Semana Santa processions of the city are considered to be in the National Touristic Interest category and it is hoped to raise this status to International Interest level in the coming years. These processions began in 1759 with smaller processions than todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive thrones and images. In reality you have a veritable mobile museum of religious art at its very best plus an emotional display of Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last hours. aormi@icloud.com

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An interesting act is on Wednesday when the image of the Virgen of Hope is carried and has a replica of the Holy Grail on the float ,which is accompanied by Knights Templars who were supposed to have discovered and given guardianship of the Holy Grail in medieval times.The Semana Santa processions are full of contrasts like life and death itself. Here you can find Light and darkness, happiness and sadness, penitence and forgiveness, faithfulness and love. There are many museums in Orihuela including the largest Semana Santa museum in Europe, but the Semana Santa processions of the town form their own mobile museum of Christian art. There are 32 pasos, carried in the processions with statues and thrones made by famous artists such as Salzillo, Fray Nicolás de Bussy, Coullant-Valera, Enrique Galarza, Victor de Ríos, Planes, Quintin de Torres, Sánchez Lomas, Orrico, Hermanos Martínez, Hermanos Jimeno and many more. They can be seen throughout the year in the Semana Santa museum. One of the figures that has disappeared over the years is that of Mortal Sin. There are 13 C o f r a d i a s throughout the n i g h t l y processions. Many of these cofradias have their origins in remote times although some do have specific dates. The first documented procession was in 1281 and later in 1586 and 1587. Around 60,000 people turn out to watch these processions today. Music plays a prominent part in the processions of Orihuela. A male voice choir, with its origins in the 18th century, sings ‘a capella’ about the passion and death of Jesus. One musical group with precedents going back to 1926 is Los Cantores de la Pasión, a choir which has linked generations of Oriolanos, often having fathers and sons in the choir. The group takes to the streets of the town to sing the Passion of Christ. There is a second musical group named Los Cantores de la Primitiva Pasión Federico Rogel. aormi@icloud.com

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S E M A N A SANTA is the m o s t important fi e s t a of Murcia and t h e processions h e l d throughout this week are of singular interest, with a sea of colour in blues, reds, purples, magentas, black and white, as the floats and images are carried - invaluable works of art, many by the master Salzillo. One magnificient example is the ‘Oración en el Huerto’ with life sized statues by Salzillo showing Jesus being comforted by an angel, while the apostles sleep. Here you have a living museum processing before your eyes. In fact most of the guilds refer to some form of assistance to others . Misericordis, Rescate, Caridad, Perdon, Salud, Refugio and Amparo, Retorno, Yacente (Pity, rescue and ransom, charity, pardon, health, sanctuary, return, burial and aid). On a visit to Murcia take time out to visit the Salzillo museum which offers a great deal of information about the man and his works.

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The statues that are carried in the procession mark every procession. As said elsewhere the majority of these are commissioned works of art and possibly the best-known sculptor is Francisco Salzillo who has works in Murcia, Orihuela, Cartagena, Crevillente, Lorca and Torrevieja among many other towns. There is a museum dedicated to this sculptor in Murcia. Francisco SALZILLO, (Born 1707, Murcia: Died 1783, Murcia), was a master of sculpture who set standards in a fresh style of art with realistic figures depicting a full range of human emotions from joy through to pain and sorrow. He was born in Murcia because his father, Nicolรกs, moved from his Italian homeland in Capua, to work in Murcia with another talented artist, Nicolรกs de Bussy. The elder Salzillo married Isabel Alcaraz of Murcia who bore him seven children, the oldest being Francisco. All the family worked in the family workshop and Francisco was able to study under the Jesuits, with special classes in drawing and painting from the artist/priest, Manuel Sรกnchez. Obviously of a spiritual nature Francisco entered the Dominicans as a novice, but as they say God works in mysterious ways and on the death of his father in 1727 Francisco took charge of the family workshop. His interest in religion found expression in so many of his works - a beautifully crafted Christmas crib, life size images for the processions of Semana Santa (Holy Week), commissions for churches throughout the region and in Alicante. He was invited by the Conde de Floridablanca to move and work in Madrid where the Court would better appreciate his talents. He decided to stay where he was and so knowledge of his work was relegated to life in a parroquial area. Partly because of his hidden life in a regional town, his true talents were not widely known or really appreciated until almost a hundred years after his death, although he was recognised in Murcia during his life with an official position. This celebrated sculptor now has much of his work (and that of his disciples) in the Salzillo Museum. His figures are highly humanised, appealing to the popular audience that looked for sentimental realism, drama and pathos. Even to this day his work provokes a personal sense of the drama of the liturgy of Holy Week when they are seen in the highly charged atmosphere of the nightly processions. Perhaps if he had become a Dominican the world would have been spiritually poorer as it is unlikely that he would have followed his true profession as an artist. Today his sculptures and techniques continue to inspire artists to express the Christian spirit and tradition through their work.

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Nº 49 March 2018

Torrevieja’s Semana Santa In 2011 processions of Torrevieja were declared as ‘Provincial Tourist Interest’, the first in a series of attempts to raise the Semana Santa weeklong fiesta to be recognized at national and international level. The origins of the Semana Santa processions in Torrevieja date back to March 1807 when Don Antonio Blasco y Viudes donated a statue of la Soledad and this

image was used in the first procession. Initially these fiestas were liturgical processions on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and the early morning Encuentro of Easter Sunday. In 1846 the town hall undertook the expenses of these fiestas. In 1912 the week took on an extra splendour when the local carabinieri police marched in their ceremonial uniforms and ever since military personnel have appeared during the processions, sometimes as usical band. By this time extra images donated by some aormi@icloud.com

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of the town’s inhabitants had been added including the La Veronica, La Samaratina, San Juan, El Cristo Crucificado, El Nazareno, El Cristo de la Caida, Nustra. Señora de los Dolores, El Santo Sepulcro. Disgracefully all these images were destroyed in the Spanish Civil War and at the beginning of the Second Republic the processions ceased to take place. Afterwards in 1940 the women undertook the fi r s t d e fi a n t procession wearing their black mantillas along with the image of the Virgen de la Esperanza. This developed into a renovation of these fiestas, but in the 1960’s there were problems of identity and in the 1970’s the programme included the local businesses and then in 1981 the Junta Mayor de Cofraidas with the intention of this one body organizing all the various processions and allied events such as the Pregon, the introductory speech.

In Torrevieja, before Holy Week, those taking part in the annual processions have several other obligations. Among them is the traditional ‘taking down from the cross’ and the kissing of the feet of the image of Jesus.

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Nº 49 March 2018

Another religious event is the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) when a procession carries the image of Christ Crucified from the main church to the plaza del Calvario, usually accompanied by local musicians and choirs. The Way of the Cross is a popular devotion at this time and in the 1990’s the outdoor devotions became once again a feature of Torrevieja’s Lenten devotions. This devotion has fourteen ‘stations’, each denoting an aspect of Christ’s last journey to the Cross. In the Sagrado Corazon church there are wall pictures marking out the stations for those who like to use this type of devotion throughout the year; one difference is that the traditional fourteen stations end with the death and burial of Christ, the ones in this church have fifteen pictures ending in the glorious Resurrection of Christ. Many old towns have murals on the outside walls of some buildings which depict these stations and are used during the Lenten period for these religious processions.

Torrevieja new Semana Santa Museum for other purposes

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The actual opening of the main processions begins with the Pregon (or announcement) given by a guest speaker; usually at this time the honour of being Capirote de Oro is announced. This personage is a leading figure in the processions of Torrevieja. The origins of Semana Santa in Torrevieja go back to at least 1807 when Antonio Blasco y Viudes donated an image of la Soledad to the church and the statue was carried in procession through the streets. In 1846, for the first time in town hall records, there appears the costs of fiestas for Semana Santa and they continued every year afterwards. In 1912 the processions included the guardias carabineros wearing their splendid dress uniforms and by this time more images of Veronica, la Samaratina, San Juan, el Nazareno had been donated by citizens. Unfortunately these were destroyed during the Civil War with the consequence that there was a fall off in the processions until 1940. After many difficulties, especially in the 60´s, a new initiative was undertaken in the 70´s to resuscitate the processions which have gathered force ever since with the institution of the Junta Mayor de Cofradías in 1981 who took on the task of organising the annual festival. Most of the images used in the processions can be seen throughout the year either in the town´s Semana Santa Museum or in the church of la Inmaculada in the town centre. The museum was opened on 3rd February, 1990 in the Primavera district of Torrevieja. A new Museum has been built near the bus station, but this has been held up because of a change in local politics with communist elements using their influence. aormi@icloud.com

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Funds are raised by bingos, fashion parades, raffles etc. In 1982 the capirotes appeared in the processions, then later women bore the image of Maria Santisimas del Silencio. In 1986 His Majesty Don Juan Carlos accepted the position of Hermano Mayor Honorario de la Semana Santa, or an honorary member of the Torrevieja Holy Week fraternity. The schoolchildrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical group Cornetas y Tambores was introduced into the processions in 1989, but there are many bands including military ones that take part throughout the week. One act is the massed drums and cornets on Holy Saturday that announces the death of Jesus. The first religious devotions of Holy Week start on the Friday before Palm Sunday. This day is dedicated to the Virgen Mary, the Dolorosa, who suffered so much for her son Jesus, and is easily identified with by mothers who often agonise for their own children.

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The principal processions begin in Torrevieja on Palm Sunday, with a blessing of palms at the morning Mass followed by a procession from the Sagrada Corazon church to the main la Inmaculada Church. At midday the town centre streets are lined as Roman soldiers escort the guild of Saint John the Evangelist and the statue of Jesus riding on a donkey, representing his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Then around ten o’clock the first evening procession takes place. Each evening from Sunday through to Friday, different cofradias take part in the procession, all of which normally start around ten o’clock. One of the most popular cofradias in Torrevieja is that of the Roman legion whose soldiers escort Christ in his triumph and to his final destiny. One tradition has it that Pontius Pilate was born in Tarraco (Tarragona) and when appointed as Governor of Palestine took an attachment of local Spanish mercenary soldiers with him and it was these who were in charge of Jesus during his last hours, whipping and mocking him, eventually escorting him to his death. Every evening different groups take centre stage in the evening processions, each procession having its own distinctive differences; each year some new element, act or image is added.

One of the most impressive is held on Maundy Thursday, which is a solemn silent night in Torrevieja where the very silence itself seems to break the night’s air. This procession is held after the Mass of the Last Supper and announces the coming arrest, trial, suffering and death of Jesus. As in other towns’ processions this is an awesome event that can deeply affect the soul. On Good Friday the longest procession held in Torrevieja takes place with some 2.500 people participating. There are now 15 cofradias in the celebrations, including 600 costaleros and among these latter there are two of the cofradias that have women carrying or pushing the tronos over a long and trying distance. Many penitents are carrying out promises made to God for graces received.

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La Mona picnics The two Mondays following Easter Sunday are local holidays and many people take picnic baskets of food to the dunes of La Mata or Guardamar. Often groups stay camping over the weekend and there are many other social events organised. Traditionally la mona is eaten which is a type of cake with a boiled egg inside, representing the stone placed over the tomb of Jesus and which was rolled back. The word mona comes f r o m t h e A r a b i c w o r d ‘máwna’ meaning a cake garnished with eggs that have been cooked along with it in the oven. It is associated with Easter and in Orihuela was a common snack during the Lenten period as it was a bun with a boiled egg. For those pilgrims in Orihuela walking up to the hill behind the town there is mention of the mona in 1887. There are two types of mona de Pascua: one is a cake adorned with elaborate chocolate ﬁgures that godparents traditionally give to their godchildren on Easter Sunday. Especially in the Catral area you will ﬁnd this with cartoon characters in chocolate, animals, houses, farms castles of princesses from fairy tales. The other is a cake with a boiled egg inside and with sugar encrusted on top.

The second Monday is a local holiday in Valencia region as it is dedicated to a Valencian saint, Vicente Ferrer, who ceaselessly travelled throughout the Valencian and Murcian regions preaching the gospel of Jesus and, en route, performing many miracles; he is patron saint of the Valencian Communidad. Schools start on the Tuesday and this saint is honoured for the education programmes he started in poor districts. aormi@icloud.com

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Lorca’s Blue and White groups Deep in the Murcia Region is the impressive fortress town of Lorca. It is a very interesting town to visit but also has a great reputation for its Semana Santa fiestas leading up to Easter. There is a tremendous rivalry between the Blues and the Whites. This dates back to the the time when the Franciscans wore blue habits and the Dominicans wore white and during Semana Santa each order tried to out-do the other in its organisation of Semana Santa processions. Nowadays ordinary citizens have formed cofradias following the tradition of these colours. The agriculture workers wear the blue, in la Hermandad de Labradores, with the Virgen de los Dolores as their patroness. The whites are in the majority in the Archcofradía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario. This competitiveness has meant that the processions of Lorca are a bit different and on Good Friday one can see Bible personages, Egyptian troops, Assyrians and Romans, members of the tribes of Israel, prophets, Kings, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. More than 200 horses take part in these Semana Santa processions.

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Crevillente Crevillente is another town which has a long history of celebrating Semana Santa as its origins go back to the early 1700´s: In addition the town publishes the oldest Semana Santa magazine which celebrated its 72nd anniversary in 2009. There is also an interesting museum dedicated to this week. According to tradition the orignal pasos were one of Christ the other of the Virgin. (this being carried by the women of the town). Several of the statues are the work of Valencian sculptor Mariano Benilliure (1862-1947) and are in the town’s Semana Santa Museum. This artist´s works can also be seen in the processions held in Seville and Cartagena. Another difference in Crevillente´s Semana Santa celebrations is that the children have their own special processions carrying 17 pasos with smaller statues: this ensures that the traditions will be carried on from generation to generation. The children are accompanied by several brass bands from other towns as well as 60 tambourines, so it is quite a noisy affair.

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Art in Semana Santa

Christianity is not merely a religion, but has been instrumental in encouraging art in all its disciplines, that has influenced and inspired so many artists, sculptors, giants of literature and musicians. Art comes in many forms - sculptures, drama, paintings, dance, music. Many of these works of famous artist in all branches of the arts have been centred around the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. Several famous pieces of music will be played and sung over the Easter celebrations. In its heyday the nobility and hierarchy were able to afford to commission works of art and for that we should be grateful that much of that has become our heritage. One of the most popular Passion characters is that of the Virgin Mary under her title of la Dolorosa, depicted in statues with daggers piercing her sorrowful heart and a dolorous expression on her face. She is particularly loved by mothers who can associate her suffering with their own when they see their children in trouble. A famous liturgical hymn used at this time of the year is the Latin words of “Stabat Mater” which is a reflection about the pain of Mary as she stands at the foot of the cross of her dying son. The original words were probably written by the medieval Franciscan poet, Jacopone da Todi. The words have been set to music many times by aormi@icloud.com

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composers of the calibre of Rossini, Pergolesi and Haydn. “Stabat Mater” was one of the first religious musical pieces of Joseph Haydn, written in 1767: a soul lifting work with pauses allowing reflection on the words of the poem. Another of his Easter works is “The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross”. Throughout the Semana Santa processions local and visiting bands will also parade among the cofradias. Verdi’s work ‘Requiem’ is a popular piece played at this time and you will hear several renditions in many towns. Another emotive composition is the “Passion” of J.S. Bach. Christ’s final Passion has been a constant source of inspiration for musicians. Georg Phillipe Telemann is perhaps one of the most prolific composers in history, having written forty four Passion compositions. After his death another work was staged (the Contemplation of the ninth hour of the day of the death of Jesus). German preacher Joachin Johann Daniel Zimmerman also approached the Passion with an oratorio about the rending of the Temple veil, the earthquake, the laying of Jesus in the sepulcher and the final resurrection. Possibly the best known piece of music is the triumphant “Messiah” of composer Handel which is also sung at Christmas.

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Of singular musical interest is the tradition of the cornets and tambors where massed bands play. This is an impressive spectacle and an awesome sound that stirs up echoes of latent primitive instincts. Sometimes these groups are limited to just the drums booming out their message of time stopping still at the death of Jesus.

Possibly the most popular singular music heard during the Semana Santa processions of Spain is that of the saetas: hymns of praise sung direct from the heart by individuals who sing at specific stopping points along the way of processions. There are thousands of saetas and each year more are added to this form of devotion that has its roots in flamenco music. Generally these tend to be sung by individuals who prepare the verses beforehand. In a few cases they are paid for this either by the town hall or the cofradias, but in general the singer offers his or her services free considering it to be an honor to be chosen. Often this saeta is sung when the Encuentro takes place, that is during the processions when the image of Mary encounters the image of Jesus carrying His Cross.

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Passion Plays More and more towns are organising Passion Plays. One of the most traditional with its own history is the group from Callosa del Segura. Towns such as Torrevieja have amateur groups that offer Passion Plays. Pilar de la Horadada held its first “Auto de la Pasión” in 2001 and aims to enlarge the Semana Santa celebrations as a tourist attraction. These were popular in medieval England and have made a come back with a regular live performance held in Trafalgar Square in London. As the actors unroll the drama and tragedy of the Holy Week the audience become involved and emotionally affected. On Good Friday 20,000 people gather to watch the Easter story in central London. No tickets are required. There is a performance at 12 noon and 3:15 pm. The production is open air with visibility maximised using large screens. There is a realistic interpretation of the crucifixion so parental guidance is advised. British sign language interpretation is provided.

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Moors & Christians in San Vicente Once Easter is over in San Vicente del Raspeig, the people dress up as Moors and Christians over an eight day period. One week after Good Friday the pregon or official pronouncement is pronounced and the nine comparsas take to the streets in a fiesta that has been held for an hundred years. Most of the parades are held at both weekends while the rest of the week is used for partying with traditional dancing and music, a cinema programme for the children, Los Gigantes, various competitions, sporting events such as cycling. San Vicente Ferrer is a patron saint of the Valencian region and the Monday following Easter week is a local holiday dedicated to him with the majority of shops closed in the Alicante area. He was born in 1350 in Valencia at the time of the Black Death plague when around 300 were dying daily in the city. He roamed both the Valencia and Murcia regions in his time preaching and setting up schools. Today schools traditionally begin on the Tuesday following the feast after the Easter break.

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Fallas de San JosĂŠ

These are held in the week leading up to March 19th. The origin of the Fallas goes back to the 15th century, when city carpenters would clean out their workshops in the spring and celebrate their patron saint's day - St Joseph- by lighting bonfires in the streets, burning up all their refuse. Soon, many began decorating these piles of wood; gradually giving them shape and form. Today, over 350 Fallas are burnt in the streets on the night of March 18th. T h e s e impressive creations begin appearing in the streets on March aormi@icloud.com

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15th with the individual shapes (or ninots) satirizing politicians, social or cultural events. Every day at 14:00 the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is packed with people anxious to experience the thunderous mascletรก, a gunpowder display whose decibel levels make the pavement tremble. There are bullfights, and flower offerings to Our Lady of the Forsaken, that convert the Basilica into an authentic tapestry of flowers, and the Plaza de la Virgen into a garden. At night come the colourful fireworks displays that reach their highpoint on March 18th, "night of fire".

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Social Grants in Spain

Each January, the Government publishes grants to enable elderly people to adapt their homes, when required. The maximum amount that is available to anyone is 3,727.57 euros. The deadline for applications is October 2018, however, once the budget is used there is no further funding available. So it is important to keep this date in mind. This law introduces 3 different grants, the one useful for the majority is called PRESTACIONES ECONÓMICAS INDIVIDUALIZADAS PARA LA SUPRESIÓN DE BARRERAS ARQUITECTÓNICAS. (The other ones are for social services) The funding is, for example, to adapt doors of the home, bathroom, main access, exits, ramps etc.

Social Services process the applications and therefore, as with previous grants, you need to contact the social worker attached to your local town hall and provide the appropriate documentation in addition to the application form. The documentation is fairly complex, but the social worker will assist in completing the form. The following documents will be required (applications again, available from your town hall). aormi@icloud.com

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Application and annexes (II, III, IV) Certificate of cohabitation (City Council) Justification of home ownership (Deeds of housing) Budget of the work to be done Municipal license for the work if necessary (ask in the town hall) Medical report Social worker report Passport/Residence The process from the date of application can take up to 6 months. There are many types of grants in Spain and associiations like HELP VEGA BAJJA, AGE CONCERN, HELP AT HOME are able to have information on what is currently available Our appreciation is extended to social worker Beatriz Lara of CasaVerde for once again keeping us informed with details of interest and importance to the community. aormi@icloud.com

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The Saint Patrick’s Day parade at Cabo Roig this year falls on a Saturday and is sure to be the biggest yet. This year the parade will start at 2pm as there are a number of big Rugby matches on that evening. In the run up to the parade the organising committee will be hosting a number of events including race night which will be held in O’Riordans Irish bar in Cabo Roig, a golf classic organised by the Trinity. Milos Irish bar are organising a Ladies day for which the dress code is sparkle and shine, starting at 6pm on the 13th March. There will be food served throughout the night, live music, a raffle and prizes together with a a stunning salsa extravaganza. Contact Mary for more information on 634 054 946. Mary will be also be organising a fun walk on Tuesday the 13th February, entry fee 10€ per person. It will start and finish at O’Riordans bar. Local business, clubs, charities, groups and organisations are warmly invited to participate in the parade the organisers are keen to remind people that there are prizes for the best floats, 500€ for the best float, 300 for second and 200 for third. The committee are delighted to have secured the services of former aormi@icloud.com

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Irish Taoiseach, Brian Cowan, as Grand Marshall at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parade. Brian Cowen was first elected to the Dail in 1984. He served in a number of ministerial posts including labour, Energy, Transport, Health, Finance and as deputy leader from 2002 till 2008. He served as head of the Irish government from 2008 till 2011. Joining him will be Frank Fahy, a former minister in the In the Irish Government, who was instrumental in securing the participation of the former leader of the Irish government. Frank represent the people of Galway from 1982 till 2011 and served as minister. He served in a number of junior posts in the Irish Government and also served as a senior minister at the department of Marine and Natural resources. Also in attendance will be Martin Quinn, former Mayor of Galway City, and Paudge Connolly who represented Cavan Monaghan constituency in Dail Eireann from 2002 to 2007. At the moment Paudge is a local County Councillor for the County of Monaghan. For information on forthcoming fundraising events and the parade itself check the Facebook page, simply search Facebook for St Patrick day parade Cabo Roig Spain and like the page.

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Sparrows nesting Domingo Soler is councillor in charge of Parks and Gardens in Torrevieja and has announced that 110 nests will be placed in various points of the town for the common sparrow. This is in addition to nests already in place for bats with the intention of eating mosquitoes. His argument is that formerly the birds nested in the rooftops of the small houses that were in Torrevieja about thirty years ago and now we have high rise apartment blocks. A counter argument is that we have lost so many trees in plazas in the past couple of years as well as hedges that there is a greater need to supply the sparrows and other birds with a more natural habitat. The intention is to put the nest boxes in places like the parkland in La Siesta, Molino del Agua, Lo Albentosa, the plaza Oriente, and Miguel Hernandez.

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Cinema Club in English

David Corfield has supplied the following information about English language films being shown in the IMF cinemas of Torrevieja, near the Habaneras shopping centre. There is a Facebook page that supplies up to date information about what films are being shown each week and it is difficult to know too far in advance what will be shown.

1: All films advertised on this site are Original English Language Films and therefore no headphones are required to hear this film, it's the same as watching it in U.K. 2: Films at Cine IMF Torrevieja are normally shown 7 days per week and notification of any change to that will appear on the film of the week post. 3: Most films are shown at 18:00 hrs, 6:00pm Spanish time and at Sala 5, Screen 5. 4: Normal price is Monday and Wednesday €5 and remainder of the week €7. 5: I will normally post the details of the New Film before lunchtime on a Thursday before the change of film on a Friday. Parking is normally available on surrounding streets or in the underground car park. Hope this clears any doubts in people's minds.

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GOYA AWARDS - SPAINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HOLLYWOOD OSCARS

This years Goya Film Awards held in February was dedicated to women, emphasizing the need for equality in every aspect of the film industry. These awards were notable as they show the different fields that women have been successful in - directing, producing, writing screen scripts and original story lines. Not forgetting the vital part played by costume design and historical authenticity. Nor the makeup and special effects or stunts. In the Goya Awards perspective, the scenery is seen as important so the backdrops that Spain supplies from its castles, churches and other buildings is an important feature when aormi@icloud.com

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planning a film shoot as can be seen in sets of Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Patton and all those spaghetti westerns. Spain's landscape has deserts (Afghanistan or of the Desert), snow capped mountains (Dr Zhivago) spectacular forests and beautiful tropical beaches (Robinson Crusoe in Torrevieja). The production of foreign films has proved to be a great impetus for tourism as visitors flock to see the locations of their favorite film. Gerona where Game of Thrones was partially filmed has seen a visible increase in the number of foreign tourists.

Of course a crucial attraction of the Goyas is the stunning dresses and magnificent jewelry worn by actresses for the photo shoot. These in general are a showcase for Spain's fashion designers. The Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are Spain's main national film awards, considered the Spanish equivalent to the American Academy Awards. The awards were established in 1987, a year after the founding of the Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España, and the first awards ceremony took place on March 16, 1987 at the Teatro Lope de Vega, Madrid. The ceremony continues to take place annually around the end of January, and awards are given to films produced during the previous year. The award itself is a small bronze bust of Francisco de Goya created by the sculptor José Luis Fernández. When the Spanish film festival was first proposed there was a consensus that a catchy name like Hollywood’s Oscars was needed. After a number of suggestions Goya was suggested as a representative of Spanish culture and his work of paintings that suggested movement. aormi@icloud.com

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As the years have passed the Goya Awards have become an important standard of film makers in the Spanish speaking world. In the recent years the awards ceremony has been used as a political platform by those in the film industry to send out a message. This year it has been about gender equality and an end to sexual harassment in the film industry. In a telephone conversation with El Pais the much awarded international actress Penelope Cruz had this well balanced opinion to say:“We are all part of the #MeToo movement, both men and women, because we all feel that rage and sense of injustice. I think the Time’s Up initiative is wonderful: I’ve donated to it because I believe it will make a difference. They have raised $17 million from donations alone from around the world, in support not just of the film industry, but any industry, and in support of both men and women – I like to stress this point – who have suffered from sexual assault, harassment, or abuse of power, and who need protection and justice. This is why we’ve created this fund. I still believe that every case needs to be judged on an individual basis, because every case is unique. The press must be careful not to point the finger at the wrong person. Every case deserves its own time and investigation. Otherwise, why would we have laws about this? There are legal boundaries. I believe in justice.”

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Anglican Chaplaincy of Saints Peter & Paul Easter services Chaplaincy Church Services & Other Events Wed 14 Feb – Ash Wednesday/First Day of Lent 11:00 am Lago Jardin – Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes 6:30 pm La Siesta – Holy Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes Fri 2 Mar – Women’s World Day of Prayer 4:00 pm La Siesta Sun 11 Mar – Mothering Sunday Church’s normal service times Wed 21 Mar – Stations of the Cross (Sponsored by the Mothers Union) 11:00 am for 11:30 – Rojales – ‘Way of the Cross’ (via Calles Algorfa & Daya Nueva) Sun 25 Mar – Palm Sunday Church’s normal Service times – with Blessing of Palms, Commemoration of the Lord´s Entrance into Jerusalem and Holy Eucharist Thu 29 Mar – Maundy Thursday 11:00 am Cristo Resucitado (Centro Ecumenico) (La Regia) – Holy Eucharist with Reception of Holy Oils from Diocesan Chrism Mass and Recommitment to Priestly and Lay Ministry 7:00 pm La Siesta – Eucharist of the Lord´s Supper and ‘Watch of the Passion’ aormi@icloud.com

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Fri 30 Mar – Good Friday 11:00 am Cristo Resucitado ( C e n t r o Ecumenico) (La R e g i a / L a Zenia) – Ecumenical ‘Stations of the Cross’ 3:00 pm Los Balcones – Celebration of the Passion of the Lord Sat 31 Mar – Holy Saturday 7:00 pm Los Balcones – The Easter Vigil (followed by Resurrection Party) Please note the time we begin this evening. This service lasts around 1.5 hours. It is the most important service of the Church´s Year! Sun 1 Apr – Easter Day Church’s normal Service times. All services are celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. Mon 9 Apr – Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary (Lady Day) (transferred from 25 Mar) 11:00 am Lago Jardin – Holy Eucharist FOOTNOTE For more general information on the workings of the Chaplaincy – and other planned activities and events – please view their web-site: http://www.c-of-e-torrevieja.com/wp/ The specific location of the various Churches together with their normal Services can be found here: http://www.c-of-e-torrevieja.com/wp/where-we-are/ Also follow them on their Facebook pages too: https://www.facebook.com/ anglicantorrevieja/ The Anglican Chaplaincy extends a very warm and friendly welcome to all denominations who live in or are visiting our area and our Churches

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VISIT HISTORY - PORTUGAL

This month let us have a look at a famous place in neighbouring Portugal. The charming Portuguese town of Sintra is famous for its fairytale palaces and enchanting gardens. Although Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira are the highlights of the hilly region, the Moorish Castle has recently gained the attention it deserves. The castle lacks the extravagance of the other two palaces, but that doesn’t make it unworthy of a visit. On the contrary, the unique structure is a perfect spot for every history lover. The Castle of the Moors, or Castelo dos Mouros, was built in the 8th and 9th century by the North African Moors during their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, hence its name. The Moors chose a strategic military location high in the mountains over the River Tagus. Once it was completed, the castle was of great significance for the Moors and remained so until the end of their rule.

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The Norwegian Viking Sigurd I Magnusson, a king better known as Sigurd the Crusader, took over the castle in 1108. The Vikings were headed to Jerusalem and as soon as they left the castle, it was once again in the hands of the Moors. Finally, after a couple of attempts to expel the Moors from the castle and the country itself, it was conquered by the King of Portugal, Afonso I “the Conqueror” Henriques, in 1147. Archeological excavations at the site have discovered remains of a mosque and a few houses that used to be inhabited by the North African Muslims. On the location where once the mosque stood, Afonso I “the Conqueror” Henriques built a small chapel. Although it remains undiscovered until today, one legend has it that under the cistern is the burial site of one of the powerful North African Kings. The monarchs of Portugal continuously used the castle; however, it wasn’t as important as it had been during the Moorish rule. The last king of Portugal believed to have used the castle was Fernando I. The monarchs kept the original Moorish architecture of the castle but made small alterations. After the 14th century, it was neglected. For a short period, Jewish families lived in the castle. However, it was once again abandoned after they were banished from the country. There were no improvements of the Moorish Castle in the following

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centuries. In fact, its condition has only gotten worse. VegetationÂ took over the castle and a big fire damaged most of the towers and rooms. Also, the tremendous earthquake in Lisbon in 1755 affected the architecture of the castle. But no one was willing to repair it and everythingÂ pointed that nature would eventually destroy the castle. And so it would have probably ended up if it had not been for King Ferdinand II. In 1842, he built the Pena Palace and enjoyed looking at the Moorish Castle from his residence. However, the condition of the medieval fortress troubled the King, so he started to make plans to restore it. Ferdinand II was a great admirer of the arts, and

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the castle was his favourite spot for painting. Everyone who has visited the castle would be unsurprised by this fact. It has breathtaking views: from one side is the magnificent Pena Palace, and on the other is the oldest palace in Portugal, the National Palace of Sintra. Beautiful landscapes and the fairytale town of Sintra beneath the fortress are also part of the unforgettable panoramic views. And when the weather permits, it is possible to see the Atlantic Ocean from the highest spot of the castle, known as the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tower.

Ferdinand II liked the Moorish Castle very much and did everything he could to maintain it. In the 20th century, it was once more restored as part of the commemoration of the foundation of Portugal. Archeological excavations continue to this day, and so far the archeologists have also discovered a Christian graveyard and many artifacts on the site that are now on display in the castle.

Today, the remarkable Moorish Castle is a National Monument, open to visitors and since 1995 has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Nยบ 49 March 2018

Torrevieja Needs a Re-think

As most people know the Friday open-air market of Torrevieja moved to a specially designed area near the Aquapark. Now that it has been there of some time the good points and the faults are beginning to show. For many of the traders it has been a disaster and over 80 stall-holders have given up as they are not seeing the same trade as before. Obviously there will be other people willing to take their places, but it does show that there is a need to adjust the area and services. Clients are complaining of it being too open in the heat of the summer and lacks shade. Others complain about the lack of bars. There appears to be plenty of parking although approaches to the area have traffic hold-ups. So with a fall off in customers and traders something has to be done about addressing these complaints. The move of the Friday market has also led to a drop in the costumers who regularly visited the Friday market then moved to the town centre for more shopping, bars and restaurants as well as along the seafront to enjoy the facilities along the promenade. La Plasa is the indoor market dedicated mostly to foods - fresh and frozen fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, butchers, flowers, and delicatessen stuff. But although it is in a good position and used to be a popular tourist attraction, today there is only a handful of stalls struggling to make a living. This is partly due to management, lack of advertising, and the fact that some businesses have moved into nearby shops.

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The other market is the Wednesday morning one held at La Mata that has steadily grown in popularity in the past years, but with the growth of more buildings this has led to a long list of complaints by people who live in the area and canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get into their own houses. After consultations with local associations it has been decided to move this market to the area of Avda. Francia -between Daneses and Avda. Suecos- and Avda. Holandeses between Avda. Inglaterra and the final of Avda. Suecos-. But this too has been polemical as a report a year before by a municipal engineer said that there was no need to change the location but to strengthen the present area.

The other market in the news is that of the famous Hippy Market or night market near the sea front and close to the town centre. This market has been going for at least thirty years and over 200 families depend on it for their livelihood. The result of such incertitude is that many have gone elsewhere to other markets another towns.

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Torrevieja’s mayor, José Manuel Dolon jumped the gun in a radio interview when he said that the popular ‘hippy’ or night market would be moved or closed while renovation is made of the area they use now. His choice of words was not quite acceptable and the 120 stall holder were upset and angry that they had not been consulted. After duly apologizing other council members assured the stall owners that there would

be talks before any decision was made. Undoubtedly the paving does need to be renewed, but the wooden stalls have b e e n introduced a few years ago and obviously stall holders are upset about the notion they might lose them after paying for them. Ideally they need to be moved to another place. One suggestion is the paseo Vista Alegre, where the market has been before when it was just portable stalls. The market is one of the attractions for visitors to the town. In another radio interview or chat show between a few local Spanish newspaper reporters, when asked about the state of the town, they were quite unanimous that thanks to the actions of the present council the centre is “dead” with nobody about, Friday market moved away, closed bars and restaurants aormi@icloud.com

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and no attractions, the funfair has disappeared, now that the theatre has still not been in use for two years there is little in the way of cultural attractions in the town centre apart fro the Casino and the Cueva de Melpรณmene, both private entities. We are fortunate in Torrevieja as we have so much local talent that includes a professional Symphony Orchestra, a Junior Symphony Orchestra, Brass bands that are second to none, smaller groups of jazz, classical quartets, choirs,

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individual singers and musicians. There are a number of good dance schools that love the opportunity for their pupils to perform in public. Torrevieja is a holiday resort for tourism and as such must have a wide offer of things that will appeal to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s travellers. Tourist expect to be entertained so there is need for a varied and attractive popular cultural programme that offers shows and concerts, classical music, drama, comedy. The town already has some regular festivals - Habaneras, including Junior ones, Band festivals, regional choirs performing in styles of Andalusia and Madrid, Asturias and Galicia. There are numerous foreign associations that can perform and display their own national type of music and cultures.

There is a need to take a fresh look at what we have, see what other towns and countries are doing, and see if we can develop other peoples ideas. Torrevieja is fortunate that it has so many musicians, dancers so that a rethink is required of a festival that can make use of the different groups, the municipal cultural buildings under the banner of a theme festival. What is needed - A programme of activities in plazas and streets with live music small bands, choirs, individual musicians, puppet shows, dance groups, clowns, magicians and anything else that will attract people,, make them stay and enjoy and in turn visit the local commercial shops, bars and restaurants. It need not cost anything as those performing can put a hat around and pick up tips that can be good i they are good.

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- We have an excellent training ground in cuisine with the Cdt and this can be further developed by letting the students participate in gastronomical events. The hostelry trade needs to develop the existing programme and invite high level chefs to participate. - Cultural street activities such as art exhibitions, painters in the street, mobile exhibitions. - The town has excellent sport facilities and a well designed programme of events in various sports could be developed as an alternative type of tourism. - The town has great opportunities to promote and expand its natural resources like the two lakes, the parks, as well as the sea. - We have three excellent marinas, each with its own programme of sea activities that are well organized and attended. This needs to be amalgamated into a complete marine package reaching out not just to yachting or fishing, but to encourage visitors to participate. - Like every Spanish town Torrevieja has a wide variety of fiestas that are always The hand of a Sanhedrin soldier is part of the latest work of Victor Garcia. attractive to tourists who want to see some of the local color and culture.

- Torrevieja is fortunate that we have festival groups that are invited to other places to perform and these should be supported by the town hall as this is another form of advertising. - Develop other fiestas, competitions and events, such as an international film festival, flower show, bird photographic competition, astrology tourism.

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Torrevieja has excellent Semana Santa processions that involves a large part of the community, from niĂąos to pensioners. Not everyone will walk every night but several will participate on several occasions. T o r r e v i e j a processions are considered to be of Tourist Interest. The poster advertising the event shows a detail from Jesus on the Cross, namely his feet. It shows the s c u l p t o r â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s imagination and how he sees feet that have been nailed to wood. Blood drops down the leg and muscles are taut. The cruelty is assuaged by lovely blood red roses, which tells a story as well. It is well worth looking at the details in the imagery of the various floats, the robes of figures, the expressions of these images, even the lamps and embroidery on costumes.

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Victor Garcia is one of the leading sculptors and artists who is much sought after to prepare items for the Semana Santa sponsored by cofradias in many towns. This year Victor has been honored as the capirote del oro or GOLDEN HOOD in Torrevieja’s processions.

Among his latest works is a Sanhedrin soldier for the town of Rafal that shows Jesus tied up as he appears before the Sanhedrin council of Jewish elders. This was commissioned by la Cofradía de Nuestro Padre Jesús de la Salud. Future works will be a Jewish priest and St. Peter.

On the same day that Victor handed over this work he also attended another handover of one of his work that was commissioned by a religious order.

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Not Open All Hours

A new ruling by Valencia Parliament means that you will no longer be able to shop in La Zenia Boulevard or other similar outlets on every Sunday. The limits of opening on Sundays and fiesta days in Tourist Influx Zones (ZGAT) have been reduced to 40 Sundays each year. In the Vega Baja this directly affects Orihuela Costa, Torrevieja and Pilar de la Horadada, which until now could open every Sunday of the year. They will now have 40 of these days between the Sundays and fiesta days at Easter and between June 15th and the first Sunday in January, when the sales start. Opening hours have been a bit of an argumentative subject as many smaller commercial businesses feel that it is unfair competition from large businesses that can afford to pay staff for Sunday and holidays. Now small businesses can still open every day of the year. The La Zenia Boulevarde mangement has brought out a programme of opening days, but will bring out a revised one as restaurants can be open. The Habaneras shopping centre has devised a family fun day programme for Sundays when they have to close as bars and restaurants will be open.

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Pilgrims Walk..or cycle or go on a bus.

Pilgrimages or romerias are also important celebrations in Spanish culture and fiestas. Romero takes its name from the herb rosemary that pilgrims used both as a sign they were on a journey, but also to nullify the bad odours of walking without washing. A pilgrimage is a journey and although there are day ones, most are long ones lasting a week or much more, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion and especially one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, as to pay homage. But many of them in Spain are only one-day trips in homage to a local saint. It’s big business. More than 200 million people go on pilgrimage every year sometimes for hours, sometimes for days, and some leave home for many months. Most of the top destinations for pilgrimages are of a religious nature as the following numbers per annum show:30 million pilgrims - Ayyappan Saranam , India (Hindu 30 million pilgrims – Tirupati , India (Hindu) 30 million pilgrims – Amritsar (Sikh) 15 million pilgrims - Arba’een, Karbala , Iraq (Muslim) 3 million pilgrims – Hajj, Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia (Islamic) (including 1.8 million from overseas) 20 million pilgrims – Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico (Christian) 10 million pilgrims – Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil. 5 million pilgrims – Jasna Gora monastery, Czestochowa, Poland (Roman Catholic) 4-5 million pilgrims – Fatima, Portugal (Christian) 4 million pilgrims – Lourdes, France (Christian) 1 million – World Youth Day (Roman Catholic but in different countries each time.) 6 million pilgrims – Western Wall , Jerusalem, Israel (Jewish/Christian) 1 million pilgrims – El Rocio , Cadiz, Spain (Roman Catholic) 1 million pilgrims – Church of the Holy Sepulchre , Jerusalem (Christian) 250,000 pilgrims – Iona (Christian) 100,000 pilgrims – Walsingham Shrine of Our Lady Norfolk, England UK - Christian

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"To go on pilgrimage is not simply to visit a place to admire its treasures of nature, art or history," declared Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. "To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God."

Pilgrimages have become very popular in recent years and have several interesting offshoots. It has meant that old buildings have been restored and maintained. Old pathways have been improved and even the environment has been taken into account with pilgrims picking up rubbish and depositing it in bins. The contemplative retreat, like pilgrimage, has been a sacred activity within the Christian tradition since its earliest times. A retreat experience offers people the opportunity to slip away from the distracting chaos of day-to-day business and restore life’s spiritual dimension. And while this experience could happen anywhere it is often best undertaken in the tranquillity of the countryside where the quiet beauty of nature contributes to the restoration of spiritual and psychological wellbeing. Ever since the time of St Francis of Assisi there has been a well-established tradition of using retreats to rediscover the beauty of God’s creation and humanity’s place aormi@icloud.com

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within it. St. Ignatius of Loyola loved looking at the immensity and wonder of the stars, and he himself made a pilgrimage from his home in North Spain to the Montserrat monastery near Barcelona, a trip that changed not only his life, but the millions of people who followed his suggested outline of a retreat in his book of The Spiritual Exercises.

The growth of environmentalism within religion, however, also places a responsibility on Christians to model good stewardship of the natural world for a sustainable future. For many retreat centres this is not new: for years they have foraged for firewood, fetched free-range eggs from the hedgerows or grown food organically in kitchen gardens nourished by compost from food waste. However the environmental challenges and technical opportunities of the 21st century mean that there is always more to be done and many retreat centres have picked up the gauntlet of sustainability with admirable sincerity. The Green Pilgrimage Network was a global collaboration between 28 pilgrim cities and other sites sacred to many different religious traditions around the world. They are all united in wanting to be models of green action and care. Members of the GPN share a vision of pilgrims on all continents, and the pilgrim cities that receive them, becoming models of care for the environment and leaving a positive footprint on the earth. aormi@icloud.com

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The Sacred Land Project was launched by the Archbishop of Canterbury in April 1997 with the aim of reviving and creating sacred sites in Britain and overseas. It is about reminding people that the landscape where they live can be as sacred as any holy land. Oxford University researchers estimate that about 15% of the world’s surface is ‘sacred land’. ARC/ WWF research has found that sacred land generally has high levels of biodiversity thanks to the protection from development provided by its sacred status. in harmony with creation - Green Pilgrimage Network launches in faith, hope and joy HRH Princess Michael of Kent read Prince Philip’s speech, in which he recalled how the first Assisi event in 1986 was to see how the faiths could work with the conservation movement to protect Nature. In Britain alone it involved Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and secular communities in creating and reviving inner-city and community gardens; conserving and celebrating holy wells; rediscovering and renewing pilgrimage trails; protecting trees and woodlands; regenerating community meeting places and their eco-systems; and celebrating sacred places with works of art and poems.

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Over 9 million pilgrims visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadaloupe in Mexico City for her annual festival, and some 20 million visitors are thought to come to the shrine every year. The environmental challenge of these enormous numbers is equally vast, with plastic bottles, cans and both human and dog waste left in the streets and air pollution from vehicles and fireworks. Mexico City has joined the Green Pilgrimage Network (GPN), initiated by ARC and WWF in 2011, to help address these issues and work to build a sustainable model of pilgrimage for the future. The issue of protection of sacred sites reveals a fascinating difference in theological and therefore psychological understandings of sacred sites. In the Abrahamic traditions, for example, protecting nature is a natural outcome of the notion of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role before God as guardians, stewards or priests of creation. However for other traditions, notably Hinduism and Shintoism, it is we who should recognize that we are protected by nature.

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Britain has several pilgrimage sites and as we are in the month of March we can look at Wales for St. David’s Day on 1st March and St. Patrick on 17 March for Ireland.

Saint Bueno’s centre featured in a few media visits including Songs of Praise. Broadcaster and singer Aled Jones stopped off at St Beuno’s Jesuit Retreat and Spirituality Centre, when he visited north Wales to film an episode of Songs of Praise. He was following the pilgrim trail to Bardsey Island, reputed to be the resting the resting place of 20,000 saints. This centre also featured in the previews of the Japanese film “Silence” when its stars came here to meditate to prepare for their parts.

St Winefride's Well, Wales Set on a steep hillside below the Welsh town of Holywell, this has been a pilgrimage stop-off point for more than 1,300 years. According to the legend, St Winefride's Well first erupted at the spot where her would-be rapist Caradog cut off her head with his sword. Restored to life at the prayers of her uncle St Beuno, Winefride lived as a nun until her second death some 22 years later. Whatever the exact truth of her legend, Winefride herself was real rather than legendary, and the extraordinary and enduring personality of this 7th-century Welsh woman has meant that she has been venerated as a saint ever since the moment of her death.

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Nº 49 March 2018

On Saint Patrick’s day many people will wend their way to Lough Derg, which is a small island and is variously called Lough Derg (Lake of the Cave), Purgatorium Sancti Patricii (St Patrick’s Sanctuary or Purgatory). Today, it is simply known as Lough Derg. Its name derives from the Latin statio, meaning a post of duty and also has a penitential association, as for example in the station churches of the Lenten liturgy in Rome or the stations in the Way of the Cross-devotion. Many refer to undertaking the pilgrimage as ‘going on station’. Station Island has been a centre of pilgrimage since at least the twelfth century. It was famous as such throughout Europe for several centuries thereafter. This place apart has been welcoming pilgrims for over a thousand years with 35,00 annually. In the past 150 years, over 2 million people have spent time in prayer and contemplation on the Holy Island. Stories about Lough Derg and the legendary Three Day Pilgrimage have spanned the centuries and as far back as records go, have been associated with St Patrick. The flame of faith, hope and love once lit in Ireland by St Patrick in the fifth century, continues to be rekindled year after year by generations of pilgrims families. Knock Shrine is a more recent shrine located in Co. Mayo is Ireland’s National Marian Shrine where over 1.5 million pilgrims visit each year. The Pilgrimage Season at Knock runs from April -October each year. In 1879 the images of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John appeared, with John preaching. There is now a cathedral on the site and a local airport. Pilgrimages in UK aormi@icloud.com

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Nº 49 March 2018

Scotland is not known today as a Catholic country but in the past it was a stronghold of Catholicism and a few name places remain. Motherwell is a large town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow Motherwell's name reportedly comes from a well, the Lady Well[, formerly dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The site of this well is now marked by a plaque on Ladywell Road. For a long time, water emerging from the ground was revered as holy. It was seen as a gift, a living mystery and clear evidence that a powerful and generous force blesses us. Then we invented taps, and became more casual about water.

St Columba’s Way – 261 miles – 1 month – Iona to St Andrews. Saint Columba – the “Church Dove” – is revered for bringing Christianity to Scotland. His abbey at Iona remains a holy place and a place of sanctuary to this day and has been the resting place for many Scottish kings, including Macbeth.

'Clootie wells' were places of pilgrimage in Celtic areas, almost always with a tree growing beside them where strips of cloth or rags were left, usually tied to the branches of the tree as part of a healing ritual. The Lady's Well is a natural spring surmounted by a large cross that stands beside the Stra Burn Ford (NS254630) near

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Nº 49 March 2018

Auchmannoch House in the Parish of Sorn, East Ayrshire, Scotland. It is associated with the Virgin Mary as a curative well.

St Patrick’s Soho Square Parish along with the Community Emmanuel organised an impressive evangelistic Mission for London from 7th to 10th December 2017. Part of this involved a Procession of Our Lady of Walsingham starting at Tyburn Convent at Marble Arch and finishing at St Patrick’s Soho Square. Tyburn was one of the hanging places on the road from London to Oxford and where many Catholic martyrs were hung, drawn and quartered. Marble Arch is a 19th-century white marble faced triumphal arch in London, England. The structure was designed by John Nash in 1827 to be the state entrance to the cour d'honneur of Buckingham Palace. In 1851 it was relocated and following the widening of Park Lane in the early 1960s is now sited. When the French exiled the religious of France many settled in England, but the Jesuit Order could not as at that time they were banned by the Pope throughout Christendom. But as the French were willing to recompense religious for the loss of their property the money from Jesuit properties was claimed by the British monarchy and used to build this lovely archway. aormi@icloud.com

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Nº 49 March 2018

Our Lady of Walsingham is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by Roman Catholics and Anglicans associated with the Marian apparitions to Richeldis de Faverches, a pious English noblewoman, in 1061 in the village of Walsingham in Norfolk, England. After nearly four hundred years the 20th century saw the restoration of pilgrimage to Walsingham as a regular feature of Christian life in the British Isles and beyond. There are both Roman Catholic and Anglican shrines in Walsingham. There is an Eastern Orthodox presence at Walsingham. The Eastern Orthodox Church have the use of a small chapel on a landing in the Holy House as well as the former Victorian railway station building nearby which has become the Orthodox Church of St Seraphim, complete with a small onion dome on the roof. There is frequently an ecumenical dimension to pilgrimages to Walsingham, with many pilgrims arriving at the Slipper Chapel and then walking to the Holy House at the Anglican

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Nº 49 March 2018

shrine. Student Cross is the longest continuous walking pilgrimage in Britain to Walsingham which takes place over Holy Week and Easter.

St Cuthbert's Way is another pilgrimage route. Wideopen Hill, at halfway, is the highest point on this pilgrimage with every step of the ascent the views in all direction are spectacular. The 100 kilometre route only opened officially in 1996, starting at Melrose Abbey in the Scottish Borders, where Saint Cuthbert spent his formative years as a monk, and ending at Holy Island, where he was buried in 687 AD. So you are walking through almost 1500 years of history.

Our Lady Of Ulting e – 12.8 miles – Danbury to Danbury (circular). The sleepy village of Ulting hides an uplifting secret; in medieval times, it was an important place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as popular as Walsingham. This pilgrimage connects the shrine of Our Lady of Ulting beside the river Chelmer to the wider Essex landscape, including the sweeping curves of the river Blackwater and the rich meadows of Danbury Common.

Whitby Abbey remains

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Nº 49 March 2018

St Hilda’s Way – 43 miles – Hinderwell to Whitby Abbey. Saint Hilda of Whitby was widely renowned for her wisdom; overseeing the Synod of Whitby that united Celtic and Augustinian Christianity in Britain. Whitby Abbey was founded by Saint Hilda – it is said that seabirds in Whitby still dip their wings in honour of her. Pilgrims may honour Saint Hilda’s legacy too by following this route, visiting eight churches along the way – all dedicated to her. Glastonbury is well known for its various music festivals but is also a place of pilgrimage. Glastonbury is a town in Somerset, , situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, 23 miles (37 km) south of Bristol. Glastonbury Lake Village was an Iron Age village and is notable for myths and legends concerning Joseph of Arimathea, the Holy Grail and King Arthur. Today Glastonbury Abbey presents itself as "traditionally the oldest above-ground Christian church in the world”. The abbey had a violent end during the Dissolution and the buildings were progressively destroyed as their stones were removed for use in local building work. Imagine the past with costumed guides who, from March to October, will explain the medieval lifestyle.

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Nº 49 March 2018

Canterbury Cathedral is the oldest Anglican see and is visited by thousands of visitors each year. Not all are pilgrims but there is so much to see in the town with its different museums and events. One of these is the “Drawn to the Light; the Hidden Cathedral” - From Saturday 13 May to Sunday 29 April. ‘Drawn to Light’ brings together an inspiring series of work by stained-glass artist, Grace Ayson. These atmospheric drawings explore Canterbury Cathedral’s hidden spaces. Inspired by her familiarity with the seldom seen aspects of this world-famous building, she explores the Cathedral and its precincts. The exhibition runs in Partnership with Canterbury Cathedral with a display of Ayson’s Contemporary Paintings on Glass in the Cathedral Crypt, which is open to the public

Ladyewell is a very active Roman Catholic shrine on the northeast of Preston, Fernyhalgh consisting of a 17th-century house with an upstairs chapel and a rather bizarre collection of relics, a retreat complex, and the old Holy Well in the grounds.Local people tend to refer to Our Lady of Fernyhalgh, which is correct, but over the years the term Ladyewell has become used by those who visit particularly from away. In the writings of Fr Christopher Tuttell (alias Blacklow) the house and chapel was referred to as Ladyewell House, which is the case today. The Kerala Indians living in this part of Lancashire hold a service each month in their own vernacular. They have a great devotion to Our Blessed Lady and never a day goes by without members of this Catholic Indian community visiting.    The Rosslyn Chapel Way – Rossyln Chapel to St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh. Perhaps one of the most famous churches in Scotland is the remarkable Rosslyn Chapel. One of Scotland’s most remarkable buildings, Rosslyn Chapel has been in the ownership of the same family since its foundation in 1446 and is still used today as a place of worship. In addition to being a beautiful 15th century building in its own right, the Chapel is at the centre of many stories surrounding Freemasonry and the Holy Grail. Rosslyn Chapel welcomed a record-breaking number of visitors in 2017, with just over 181,700 paying visitors during the year. The previous record was set in 2006, following the release of The Da Vinci Code film, when the Chapel had 175,074 visitors.

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