Hundreds of faithful took part in the 2nd Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Chandavila, held this Saturday. Pilgrims began arriving from all corners of the region at 9:00 a.m. For many of them, it was their first visit to this diocesan sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. At 10:00 a.m., the scheduled events began with the prayer of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary along the Via Sacra, in Spanish, Portuguese, French and English.

When the procession reached the Sanctuary esplanade, several priests began administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation, both on the esplanade itself and in the Reconciliation Chapel. This continued until the celebration of the Eucharist, which was presided over by the Archbishop and concelebrated by around twenty priests. Special prayers were offered for Pope Leo XIV and his speedy recovery.

In his homily, José Rodríguez Carballo stated that “in this place, the presence of the Virgin Mary is felt in a particular way, as it was here that she chose to make herself visible to two girls, Marcelina and Afra.” The Archbishop recalled that this pilgrimage had a very important ecclesial dimension. “We do not come to Chandavila as isolated individuals,” he said, “but as members of one particular Church: priests, deacons, religious, consecrated persons, seminarians, families, young people, children, the elderly and committed laypeople. Today, here, we can contemplate an image of our Church as it journeys through Mérida-Badajoz. We are all called, dear brothers and sisters, to walk together, share our faith and work in unity towards the one and same evangelising mission.” Read the Full Homily Here – Source: Website of the Archdiocese of Mérida-Badajoz

José Rodríguez Carballo encouraged everyone to make the most of “this wonderful opportunity to encounter the Lord through Our Lady of Sorrows, and to meet one another, enriching ourselves and others with the gifts the Lord has bestowed upon each of us”.

At another point, he remarked: “We come to Chandavila to place our sorrows in Mary’s hands and to learn from her how to live through them with faith, never losing hope.”

After the Eucharist, the pilgrims shared a meal at dozens of tables set up by the brotherhood in one of the picnic areas. The day concluded with the prayer of the Holy Rosary.

View the photo album featuring all the images from the day here.