The parish priest Kenneth Chukwuca, a Nigerian immigrant who arrived in Spain by boat and has lived in Lorca for years, made history in the Palm Sunday procession by embodying the figure of Moses on an Egyptian biga. He became the first priest to participate in the biblical procession in a horse harness during Holy Week in Lorca. The choice of Father Kenneth to represent the prophet responds to the parallelism between the lives of the priest and Moses, since both were saved from the waters, one in the Mediterranean and the other on the shore of the Nile.
The brotherhood thus recognizes “an exceptional man, whose life path brings us closer to the eternal values of our faith. He constitutes a true present, tangible and living example of self-improvement, humility and Christianity. The priest carried on his shoulders the iconic blue satin mantle embroidered in silk that represents the moment in which the prophet was collected in the Nile and as an adult, with the tables of the law.
The seven bigas of José's group, led by film specialists, performed complicated dressage exercises
Father Kenneth accepted the proposal to go out in the procession because it is a “way to share my testimony with the citizens.” He is aware of the expectation that his participation in the procession has generated and considered that it will contribute to “disseminate the history of redemption, to explain the meaning of the processions with biblical characters and the victory over death” that “it is not known what enough outside the city.
Pharaohs and slaves
The Blue Pass imposed on the Palm Sunday procession the power and luxury of the peak period of the ancient Egyptian civilization. Pharaoh Ramesses II paraded with a regal bearing in his sacred boat, which simulates braided reeds, transported by thirty servants. The Egyptian slaves preceded Queen Nefertari, majestic in her litter carried by 48 slaves and adorned with colorful feather dusters. One of the most spectacular moments of the procession was the entry into the race of the opulent chariot of Queen Meiamén, adoptive mother of Moisés, carried by maromeros.
Pharaoh Ramses and queens Nefertari and Meiamen captured the opulence of the ancient civilization
In the Juan Carlos I Avenue race, the seven bigas of José's group stood out, led by film specialists, who performed complex dressage exercises crossing each other, a risky practice due to the little space they had to develop it.
The new staging and characterization commissions did important work with hundreds of extras who wore spectacular makeup, headdresses, ornaments, jewelry and feathers in the style of the old empire.
Ethiopian acrobatics
In the blue procession, the vibrant equestrian show of the Ethiopians, an emblem of brotherhood, was a safe bet. Without saddles on their horses, the expert riders performed unusual and risky stunts that left the spectators speechless. They ran at a gallop while resting only their heads on the horse's back, stood up, jumped from side to side or hung upside down from the rump, encouraging the blue stands to get up from their seats to cheer them while waving their handkerchiefs. .
The religious part of the procession included the banner of San Juan, by Francisco Cayuela, declared a Site of Cultural Interest, and the Nazarenes of the Virgin of Sorrows.
To shorten the duration of the parade, the Blue Pass decided to eliminate from its procession the prophetess Deborah, one of the most emblematic characters, who parades on horseback with a green cloak, and the triumphal biga of Pharaoh Ptolemy IV Philopátor. The cavalry of the seven prophetesses, the infantry, the Egyptian band and cavalry, the banner of the Medallion and a third of Nazarenes did not leave either.
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