29th September 2025.– The town of Lucena experienced what is already regarded as a historic day on Saturday, 27th September, with the celebration of the Great Passion Procession ‘Lucena Lives the Passion’ (Procesión Magna Pasionista, ‘Lucena vive la Pasión’). Eighteen processional thrones from the town’s seventeen Passion brotherhoods and confraternities made their way through the streets of Lucena in an unprecedented procession, led by the town’s Patron Saint, Mary Most Holy of Araceli, as part of the Jubilee Year.
Following the event, the President of the Agrupación de Cofradías, Antonio Díaz —the organising institution— and the Mayor of Lucena, Aurelio Fernández —the sponsoring authority, together with the Provincial Council of Córdoba— have reflected on the assessment of this landmark occasion, highlighting both its organisational success and the remarkable prominence it has brought to Lucena’s Holy Week and its santería tradition.
The Mayor of Lucena described the Great Passion Procession (Magna) as «an outstanding success», insisting that «on Saturday we witnessed eighteen processional thrones in our town, accompanied by music, ‘santería’, devotion… absolutely everything. I believe we presented the image we wanted to project: a well-organised, safe and welcoming Lucena, capable of showing the world what our Holy Week is truly like and what makes our ‘santería’ tradition unique. The people of Lucena feel immensely proud because everything ran according to schedule, the regulations were respected, and the event was enjoyed in an atmosphere of solemnity and beauty».
Confraternity pride and recognition of a collective effort
For Fernández, «Lucena showed the world how it lives the Passion of the Lord in a truly unforgettable day. It was a beautiful city, filled with visitors, and there was a widespread sense that history had been made. It also demonstrated that we are capable of organising an event of this magnitude».
For his part, Antonio Díaz, President of the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena, shared this assessment, emphasising that «the overall assessment has been extremely positive; everything went exactly as planned. There were countless details and circumstances to take into account, but thanks to the work of the organising committee, the Officers of the Agrupación, the Heads of brotherhoods and confraternities and the ‘manijeros’, Lucena demonstrated the seriousness and dedication with which it organises its Holy Week. The sense of pride is immense».
In this regard, he recalled that «it has been two years of intensive work, with countless meetings that became even more frequent in the final months. And the reward was seeing everything unfold exactly as planned Even a minor scheduling issue was resolved almost without anyone noticing».
The President of the Agrupación de Cofradías also wished to emphasise the religious significance of the occasion, stating that «this could not be merely a procession. On the Friday, we celebrated the Jubilee Mass, presided over by our Bishop, and on Saturday, before the Great Passion Procession (Magna) began, we listened to the words of our Delegate for Worship, Magdalena Rueda, who reminded us of the true essence of our confraternities and of the presence of Mary Most Holy of Araceli. All of this gave the celebration a deeper meaning, whose character, let us not forget, has always been rooted in its religious purpose».
A town full of visitors
With regard to attendance, the Mayor stressed that «the turnout was exceptional, with a significant proportion of those in attendance having travelled from outside the city. The designated park-and-ride car parks reached full capacity, demonstrating the remarkable number of visitors who came to the city. Although some visitors arrived by coach, most chose to travel by private car, preferring the greater convenience it offered. In the streets, the people of Lucena recognised many unfamiliar faces, while balconies were filled with families opening their homes to share the experience with friends».
Fernández also wished to express his particular gratitude to the city’s hospitality sector and local businesses, who «removed their outdoor seating and awnings, making an additional effort to ensure that everything ran perfectly. Everyone’s collaboration was essential».
Exemplary safety and coordination
One of the most notable aspects of the event was the exemplary level of safety. Fernández highlighted the success of the operational coordination centre established at the Town Hall itself. The Mayor recalled that «it was the first time we had organised something like this, and it proved to be a success. The immediacy required by some decisions was managed collectively and collaboratively, making the response more effective, and it is an approach we would certainly consider repeating at future events expected to attract large crowds. There were only minor incidents, such as two ‘santeros’ who required medical attention in Tiendas Street, but the response was immediate. Defibrillators were deployed on police motorcycles to ensure a rapid response, and everything worked exactly as it should. Fortunately, they were nothing more than minor incidents».
Prominent figures impressed by ‘santería’
The event brought together institutional representatives including the President of the Provincial Council of Córdoba, Salvador Fuentes, the President of the Parliament of Andalusia, Jesús Aguirre, the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Córdoba, Demetrio Fernández, and the Delegate of the Regional Government of Andalusia in Córdoba, Adolfo Molina. Together with mayors and presidents of brotherhoods and confraternities from across the Province of Córdoba, as well as other civil, ecclesiastical and military authorities, they had the opportunity to experience the ritual of ‘santería’ at first hand. Antonio Díaz noted that «they left deeply impressed by our santería tradition and our artistic heritage». In addition, some were able to witness at first hand the moment when a ‘santero’ is dressed, highlighting «the people of Lucena’s ability to preserve what makes us unique».
Lucena enters the annals of confraternity history
The Great Passion Procession (Magna) has projected Lucena onto the national stage, strengthening its bid for its Holy Week celebrations to be granted the status of a Festival of National Tourist Interest. With its ‘santería’ tradition now recognised as an Asset of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC), the city has presented to the world a unique expression of popular religious devotion and living heritage. For the President of the Agrupación de Cofradías, «Lucena has written a page that will never be forgotten. We have shown the world who we are, where we come from, and what makes us unique» For his part, the Mayor of Lucena concluded by stating that «this has been far more than a procession: it has been an expression of the soul of our town, of its faith, its organisational capacity and its cultural standing. Lucena lives the Passion, and now the world has experienced it with us as well».
Acknowledgements
The Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena wishes to express its sincerest gratitude to the Officers of the Agrupación, the Organising Committee, the Passion and Glory brotherhoods and confraternities of Lucena, former Officers of the Agrupación de Cofradías, the local and Seville-based musical ensembles, the ‘santero’ teams, the Brotherhood of Drummers of Lucena, those responsible for protocol and communications, the volunteers, the parish branches of Charitas, private security personnel, the Local Police, the National Police, Civil Protection teams from Lucena and neighbouring municipalities, the emergency medical services, the Fire Brigade, the Director of the Emergency and Evacuation Plan, the Operational Services of Lucena Town Council, the people of Lucena and all those who visited the city, the hospitality sector, media organisations from across Spain and, of course, Lucena Town Council and the Provincial Council of Córdoba for sponsoring this historic event.
