The Congregation of Our Lady of the Angels celebrates this Sunday, August 2, the feast of the patroness of Getafe at the shrine of Cerro de los Ángeles, with a day marked by prayer for those affected by the fires recorded in various municipalities of the diocese and for the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela.
During the celebrations of the triduum, held between July 30 and August 1, and in the Masses this Sunday, specific petitions have been included for those affected by both disasters. As a sign of closeness, the image of Our Lady of the Angels bears a medal of the Virgin of La Poveda, patroness of Villa del Prado, one of the towns most affected by the flames, and another of the Virgin of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela.
According to the Congregation, the Board of Governors and the camareras prepared the image on Wednesday, July 29, when they replaced her mantle with a blue one, changed the crown, and placed the two medals that she will wear during the festivities. The gesture aims to keep “present in the heart the people of the diocese who have suffered the most in the fires and also in the earthquake in Venezuela”.
The morning celebrations
The day began at 8:00 with the traditional “farmers’ Mass,” presided over by the Piarist Valentín Benavente Sacristán and concelebrated by the Salesian Joaquín Torres Campos, university chaplain of CES Don Bosco in Madrid and regional delegate of the Salesian cooperators of Spain and Portugal.
At 11:00 the main Mass took place, presided over by Luis Manuel Vallecillos, ecclesiastical advisor of the Congregation and parish priest of the cathedral of Santa María Magdalena, with organ accompaniment by Daniel Ruiz.
Both celebrations maintained the intentions for those affected by the fires and the earthquake, which have accompanied all the acts in honor of the patroness during the last days.
Procession and solemn Mass in the afternoon
The events will continue this afternoon on the esplanade of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At 20:30 the solemn procession of the image of Our Lady of the Angels is scheduled, and at 20:45 a Eucharist will begin, presided over by the vicar general and moderator of the curia, Javier Mariata.
At the end of the Mass, the image will once again process through the religious enclosure, bringing the celebrations of this year to a close.
To facilitate attendance, the company Avanza Interurbanos will provide a special bus service to Cerro de los Ángeles from 18:30, departing from Avenida Juan de la Cierva in Getafe and returning once the events have concluded.
A triduum for those affected
As preparation for the feast, the shrine hosted between July 30 and August 1 a triduum preached by Juan Alberto Ramírez Avilés, priest of the archdiocese of Toledo and member of the Pontifical Spanish College of San José in Rome.
The Congregation has wanted the memory of those affected to occupy a central place in the celebrations, both in the petitions of the Masses and in the two medals placed on the image of Our Lady of the Angels.