Bless thy foal
Costa towns host traditional animal blessings
Animals large and small joined their owners at Calpe’s La Merced church on Sunday to celebrate the saint’s day of Sant Antoni.
The outdoor event is staged annually to mark the January 17 saint’s day of the patron saint and protector of all animals and more than 200 people attended the open air Mass.
The pets and working animals received a sprinkling of holy water and a blessing from the parish priest Don Juan Carlos - scenes captured on camera by CBN reader David Stockton.
There were also refreshments for the humans and gifts for the animals - owners were handed knapsacks bearing the saint’s image containing treats and bags to pick up after their pets...and a voucher for a plastic bottle to dilute urine.
Carole Saunders, a member of the church congregation and a ‘festera’ of the event, said there were “all sorts of animals” at the blessing which remained a “really popular” calendar date every year.
She said: “The larger animals are always brought to the La Merced blessing; it is a lot easier than taking them to the old town blessing next week; it is flat outside and nearer the countryside making it safer for them.
“The festival is always a very enjoyable day - one of those typically Spanish events that everyone enjoys.”
The organisers did have to answer one emergency - sending off festeros to get apples as a gift for the equine visitors.
On Sunday January 19 at 12.30, there is a second blessing of the animals at the Nuestra Señora de las Nieves - Our Lady of the Snows - church in Calpe old town; the second of the resort’s parishes.
See pages 32 and 33 in the What's On section for more blessings this weekend