The Junta de Hermandades y Cofradías (JHC) of San Cristóbal de La Laguna celebrated, on the 2nd, a Thanksgiving Mass for the 70th anniversary of its foundation, which took place on that day in 1953, when it was constituted from the hand of Bishop Domingo Pérez Cáceres and only had three brotherhoods and the Slavery of the Holy Christ of La Laguna. This is how Juan Antonio Pérez Gómez, current president of the Board, recalls it, who highlights that the founding of the JHC of La Laguna predates even that of the Council of Brotherhoods of Seville, which is one of the most important in Spain.
A Board that was born to respond to the need for a body that would be the legal channel of the brotherhoods and brotherhoods among themselves, as well as with the ecclesiastical authority and with the City Council, for the celebration of processional parades and issues derived from the same, but which has evolved and 70 years later, in addition to its religious work, carries out an important social, charitable and cultural task, also forming part of the heritage of La Laguna with the traditions and artistic wealth of the 25 brotherhoods and brotherhoods that encompasses today.
“We owe it to all those people, to the founders, who were the beginning to reach 25 today,” says Juan Antonio Pérez, who links the growth of the JHC and its brotherhoods and sororities to their social and charitable role and their close union. with La Laguna, one of the most important brotherhood points of the Archipelago. “We are closely linked to La Laguna, we are part of this heritage of humanity, after all the brotherhoods and brotherhoods have an artistic heritage. And the greatest patrimony that we have are the brothers, the people, ”he highlights. “And we are a religious institution, that is clear, but we also have to add up and be next to a society that needs us with everything that is happening. And that is what I think keeps the Board alive, the social and charitable ”, he adds.
In this sense, the JHC works on the coordination and organization of Holy Week in La Laguna and all the religious, social and cultural events that it entails, as well as the conservation of these traditions and religious education. But, in addition, “we also have social, charitable and cultural work”, he points out.
Thus, for example, he explains that “a few days ago we gave the Spanish Association Against Cancer 4,000 euros from the concert that we have been doing for 17 years together with the Atlantes group. And we were in Santa Cruz de La Palma to deliver belongings to the victims of the volcano, we collaborate with the Canary Islands Blood Donation Institute, we collect food for Cáritas and also exhibitions, concerts or the preparation of the Nativity scene in the Casa de los Capitanes, which They have visited more than 50,000 people”.
“All this activity with society is very important, in addition to the religious part, we are always open to all kinds of initiatives, within an order, and we want to add”, values Juan Antonio Pérez. Precisely due to its social and cultural work, the La Laguna City Council awarded the JHC the City’s gold medal in 2016.
Regarding the adaptation of the JHC to the evolution of society, and specifically questioned about the attitude of Slavery regarding not accepting today the entry of women into its brotherhood, he emphasizes that “we respect Slavery and its autonomy, but I lead by example and in the executive committee of the Board, which we are 9 members, there are four women. I make no distinction.”
Commemoration
The acts to commemorate this 70th anniversary began on the 2nd with the celebration of a Thanksgiving mass presided over by the bishop of the Diocese of Nivariense. Juan Antonio Pérez points out that the Eucharist has been the beginning of the various events that the JHC wants to develop throughout 2023 to commemorate its 70th anniversary, “such as some institutional concert and a slightly more special Holy Week, with some exhibition, but We haven’t closed it yet,” he says.
