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Procession of San Francisco through the streets of Alhaurín to ask for rain. SUR
Alhaurín de la Torre residents call on Saint Francisco de Paula to bring rain

Alhaurín de la Torre residents call on Saint Francisco de Paula to bring rain

The procession in honour of the saint usually takes place in the autumn, although the current drought prompted residents to participate in a special event, the first of its kind in 37 years

Andrea Jiménez

Monday, 14 February 2022, 12:49

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Residents of Viñagrande in Alhaurín de la Torre participated in a special procession last Friday - the first of its kind in almost four decades - to ask San Francisco de Paula to help bring much needed rain to the province. This traditional procession usually takes place in the autumn, although the current drought prompted members of the Viñagrande Association, local farmers and parishioners to accompany the image of saint from the hermitage of El Alamillo to the parish church of San Sebastián.

As tradition dictates, three pieces of bacalao (dried cod) were placed at the foot of the image, an offering by which the saint is asked to mediate to attract rainfall in times of extreme drought.

The procession through the main streets of the town was accompanied by the Municipal Band, along with the town’s mayor, Joaquín Villanova, who helped carry the image during part of the route.

The neighbourhood of Viñagrande has a long tradition of devotion to the 15th century Italian saint, who was the founder of the Minims, a Roman Catholic religious order of friars who had a great presence in Spain under the rule of the Catholic Monarchs, according to local researcher José Manuel de Molina.

The image of San Francisco de Paula, which has close links to farmers and fishermen, is housed in the hermitage of Alamillo, which was erected in his name in 1875.

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