“The rain is not going to stop the Molina festivities,” warned the mayor of Molina de Segura, José Ángel Alfonso, this Saturday morning, given the forecast of heavy rainfall in the Region. And the rain did not make an appearance during the pilgrimage to raise the Virgen de la Consolación, the Patron Saint of the municipality, from the hermitage of La Consolación to the parish church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.
The procession went through the streets “announced love and mercy”, in the words of Consuelo López Muelas, president of the Brotherhood of the Virgin of Consolation, in charge of organizing the pilgrimage of the Queen of Molina. The festivities that are held in Molina de Segura in honor of the Virgen de la Consolación have their roots in the 18th century. One of these traditions is the one that dictates that the image of the Virgen de la Consolación must arrive at the Church of the Assumption on the Saturday before the first Monday of September, and return to her hermitage on the third Monday of the same.
In addition to pilgrimages, another notable religious act is the great floral offering to the Patron Saint, on Saturday, September 16, in a parade that will start from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and will go to the Church of the Assumption, where the image of the Virgin to receive all the visitors who come that day. In addition to asking that bouquets of flowers be brought to decorate the temple, the delivery of non-perishable food is also requested to share with the poorest through Cáritas.
The youngest and children’s teams of the Molinense Union star in the launch of the rocket on the balcony of the Town Hall
This year, the liturgical program is “more extensive than ever”, according to Consuelo López Muelas, due to the work of the parish priest José León, who has been in charge this year of preparing the religious-festive program.
“Kids Thing”
In addition to the pilgrimage, the president of the Brotherhood highlights some of the central acts such as the mass this Sunday in homage to all the Consuelos, and that of the sick that the bishop of the Diocese of Cartagena, José Manuel Lorca Planes, will preside over this year. .
The precipitations did not tarnish in the morning the ‘cobetazo’ of start of patron saint festivities. “I think it has been a thing of the children who are in contact with heaven,” said the Molinense alderman, José Ángel Alfonso, from the mayor’s office. From the balcony of the City Hall, the mayor, accompanied by the youngest and children’s teams from the Molinense Union, kicked off the festivities with the firing of a rocket while dozens of people waited in the Plaza de España to celebrate the start of more than two weeks of festive events. The free beer donated by Estrella de Levante also served as an incentive to join many neighbors who held the weekly market on Saturdays.
This year the festivities are celebrated with some novelties in terms of the location of the events. The fair is held in the Molina Centro car park, “because of its proximity to the town center,” according to the Councilor for Local Festivals, Juan de Dios García. The bars also return to their place of origin near the La Consolación school, once the works in the area have been completed. On the other hand, the parade of floats on the 16th modifies its itinerary and will pass through Avenida de Madrid and Calle Mayor.
For this Sunday the show of the Drillo Gang, Drilo Rock, is scheduled in the Plaza de España, starting at 8:30 p.m.
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