Hello everyone,
Do you know Santa Faç tradition? Have you ever participated?
Image of the Holy Face Relic
When did this tradition start?
Well, on the 17th March in 1489 Sant Joan villagers urged the local priest Mosén Pere Mena to organise a pleading for rain to irrigate the fields because it hadn't rained for ages.
There was a severe drought and people needed water.
Old trunk where it's said Mosén Pere Mena (Priest Pere Mena born in Sant Joan) put away the Holy Face Relic when he brought it from Rome to Sant Joan.
It's said that in spite of the fact that the priest always left the Relic under his clothes, every time he opened the trunk the Relic appeared on them.
This plaque is placed in Sant John the Baptist Parish Church in Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain.
It's below the other two pics.
As all you know, during Middle Ages 98% of people in Alicante Orchard earned his living working the land and no rain meant poverty and finally death for all the family.
People shouted out during the supplication: "Faç Divina, misericòrdia".
Then, the legend says that a miracle happened, It was called "The tear miracle".
The date changed due to religious reasons as the celebrations took place during the Lent.
The fact is that today (it is celebrated on the 2nd Thursday after Easter) a Christian and Civic pilgrimage with over 300,000 residents of Alicante town and other places will go from Alicante Co-cathedral, Saint Nicholas, to Santa Faz Monastery wearing peasant clothing and carrying pilgrimage canes. People usually stop for breakfast of anissed rolls with Alicante Wine.
Pictures of the Monastery and Saint Claire's Convent which belongs to the Franciscan's Orders.
Here we can see the first and biggest part of The Monastery of Santa Faç Portic. You can appreciate one of the miracles there.
Have a look at the houses and places around Santa Faç district.
Santa Faz is a district which belongs to Alicante and Sant Joan nowadays. When the miracle happened, Sant Joan belonged to Alicante.
There is a brotherhood in Sant Joan called "Santa Mujer Verónica", this plaque commemorates the creation of this brotherhood in the street "Mosén Pere Mena" in Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante.