Celebration of 50th Pilgrimage of Virgen del Rocío in Catalonia at Sagrada Família - Celebration of 50th Pilgrimage of Virgen del Rocío in Catalonia at Sagrada Família
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This Saturday 18 March, the Federation of Andalusian Organisations in Catalonia (Federación de Entidades Culturales Andaluzas en Catalunya - FECAC) commemorated the 50th Pilgrimage of the Virgen del Rocío in Catalonia, which will take place from 26 to 29 May in Terrassa.
There were 2,500 guests, including authorities, organisation leaders and members of the El Rocío brotherhoods that belong to FECAC, filling the Basilica of the Sagrada Família for a mass officiated by Cardinal Joan Josep Omella i Omella, accompanied by ten chaplains from other brotherhoods.
The event began with a procession down the central aisle, led by the Cardinal with the officiants and five drummers.
Before that, the presidents and ‘elder brothers’ of the 23 brotherhoods present, with their simpecados (insignias), staffs and other ornaments, filed in front of the altar to pay their respects and turned to face the faithful. The participating El Rocío brotherhoods were: Santa Coloma de Gramenet, los Romeros de Barcelona, Pineda de Mar, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Rocieros de Carmona de l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Pastora Almonteña de l’Hospitalet, Virgen de la Rocina de Sant Adrià de Besòs, las Marismas, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Los Varales, Mataró, Pastorcillo Divino de l’Hospitalet, San Rafael Arcángel, Santo Ángel de Barcelona, Rubí, Badia del Vallès, la Blanca Paloma de Maçanet, Divina Pastora de Mataró, Pastora del Alba de Sant Adrià de Besòs, Terrassa, la Pau, Badalona and Santa María de las Arenas de Terrassa.
The choir of the Hermandad Virgen del Rocío Pastorcillo Divino from Hospitalet de Llobregat accompanied the ceremony with music.
FECAC, serving the associations
The Federation of Andalusian Organisations in Catalonia (FECAC) was founded in 1982 and has a total of 115 members, mainly Andalusian cultural centres, associations, El Rocío brotherhoods, penitential brotherhoods and flamenco groups.