The devotion to Our Lady of the Forsaken once again demonstrated its strength in Valencia. More than 34,000 faithful took part on May 20 in the traditional Hand-Kissing ceremony to the patroness of the Valencians, in an edition that has already gone down in history as the most crowded ever held to date, according to the Archdiocese of Valencia.
From the early hours of the day, thousands of people filled the Plaza de la Virgen to approach the Mare de Déu in one of the most deeply rooted expressions of popular piety in Spain.
Thousands of faithful lined up for hours to venerate the patroness
At six-thirty in the morning, when the doors of the Basilica opened, the square was already completely full. The steady flow of faithful throughout the day suggested that the Hand-Kissing would far exceed the numbers of previous years. By midday, nearly 10,000 people had passed before the image.
José Luis Albiach, president of the Brotherhood of Followers of the Virgin, highlighted the atmosphere of respect and recollection experienced throughout the day and thanked the work of the collaborating entities and the volunteers.
Despite the high temperatures, the day passed without serious incidents. Only a few mild fainting spells were recorded among the attendees, promptly attended by medical services.
“Every year we try to surpass it, but it is really the people themselves who surpass it,” Albiach stated, emphasizing that it is the faithful themselves who keep this Marian tradition alive from generation to generation.
Popular religiosity remains alive in a secularized Spain
The massive participation once again evidenced the deep roots that Marian devotion still holds in Valencia, even in an increasingly secularized society. While many religious traditions are losing ground elsewhere in Europe, Our Lady of the Forsaken continues to gather tens of thousands of people willing to wait for hours to publicly express their faith.
The Hand-Kissing is one of the central events organized each May for the feast of the Valencian patroness. The Brotherhood of Followers of the Virgin coordinates access for the faithful together with the Court of Honor and the Eixidors del Trasllat, with the collaboration of the Red Cross, the Local Police, and the City Council of Valencia.
A day of faith also marked by charity
The Hand-Kissing also had an important charitable component. Throughout the day, donations were collected for various social works linked to the Basilica.
The aid will go to the MAIDES Foundation, dedicated to the social integration of people with severe mental illness; to Villa Teresita, which especially accompanies marginalized women and victims of exploitation; and to the Valencian association Provida, which provides support to mothers in vulnerable situations and their children.