Arico yesterday celebrated its big day of the patron saint festivities with the solemn religious function at noon, officiated by the bishop, Bernardo Álvarez, and sung by the Las Hiedras de La Sabinita Chamber Vocal Group. The faithful filled the church of San Juan Bautista, accompanied by the Municipal Corporation. At 8:30 p.m., in the same temple, another mass was officiated, sung by the group Corazones Alegres de Granadilla de Abona and officiated by the parish priest Martín Feliciosi. At the end, the image of Our Lady of Abona paraded through the streets of La Villa de Arico, with its silver litter and accompanied by several hundred neighbors, as well as the Municipal Corporation, who witnessed the display of fireworks in the middle of the tour. In addition to the entire Consistory, the delegation included representatives of the Parliament of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Tenerife.
Sebastián Martín, the mayor, congratulated the ariqueros and praised the IV Pilgrimage, highlighted the religious meaning of the meetings with each patron saint of each neighbourhood, underlined the involvement of neighborhood and religious groups decorating the towns, emphasized the regional character of the event with the visits to Chimiche and Las Vegas –in Granadilla de Abona– and Las Eras –in Fasnia– and invited the ariqueros and visitors “to enjoy the numerous acts of the lustral festivities, which will continue until the 18th ».
The Councilor for Culture and Festivals, Dácil Cano, stressed that today the magicians’ dance will take place and the performance of all the groups of the municipality together with the guests. Tomorrow, in the morning, the game of football benefit between veterans of CD Tenerife and Arico. In the afternoon, the offering of fruits and food will take place in the San Juan Bautista Church, with the participation of all the neighborhoods, and mass will be celebrated.
The lustral festivities in honor of Our Lady of Abona, coinciding with the 300th anniversary of her appearance, program for Saturday, September 17, one of the most important events: the XIII Descent of the Virgin to La Punta de Abona, from from 8:00 a.m. In the afternoon, at 7:00 p.m., the Los Sabandeños concert will take place in the Plaza de La Punta de Abona; mass, at 8:00 p.m.; the procession of Las Candelas, at 9:00 p.m. –with a fireworks display– and the great festival, which will enliven the Generación and Tropin orchestras, starting at 11:00 p.m.
On Sunday, September 18, the Ascent of the Virgin of Abona to Villa de Arico will be celebrated. At 11:00 am the fight will be held in honor of Our Lady of Abona, on the beach of La Punta de Abona; at 1:00 p.m., mass will be officiated in the Church of Las Mercedes; At 5:00 p.m. the farewell ceremony will take place in the Plaza de La Punta de Abona, and the image will begin to rise to the temple of San Juan Bautista. This edition of the lustral festivities will conclude, at 7:00 p.m., with the reception in the church of Villa de Arico and the mass.