29th March 2026.- Holy Week in Lucena officially began yesterday with the Proclamation held at the Major Parish Church of Saint Matthew the Apostle, a ceremony that each year marks the opening of Holy Week in the town.

The Proclamation was delivered by Jaime Verdú Orellana, Secretary of the Agrupación de Cofradías and of the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Christ of the Blood, who gave a richly crafted address focusing on the elements that define the distinctive identity of Holy Week in Lucena. Throughout his address, he explored the principal features that define Lucena’s Holy Week: the ‘santería’, the distinctive way in which the processional thrones are carried, the role of the ‘cuadrillas’, and the characteristic sounds of the drum and the ‘torralbo’, weaving them together into a unified vision of the tradition.

The proclaimer evoked a number of emblematic moments and places, from the ‘Madrugá’ of Our Father Jesus the Nazarene to the ‘Llanete de la Columna’, reflecting on the various devotional images and the significance that each day holds within the wider celebration of Holy Week. His address offered an insider’s interpretation of a celebration that brings together devotion, heritage, and a distinctive way of understanding Holy Week in Lucena.

The proclaimer was introduced by his son Jaime Verdú Martín, who reflected on his father’s life and the way this tradition is experienced within their family. The ceremony was completed by Rafael Ramírez Ponferrada, Publications Officer of the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena.

Before the proclamation, the «Manolo Ramírez» Brotherhood Award, was presented posthumously to Mrs.Teresa Botella Pérez, the first female Head of a Brotherhood in Lucena’s Holy Week. The award was received by her husband, José Guerrero, and presented by the President of the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena, Antonio Díaz, in a particularly moving moment that paid tribute to her lifelong dedication and commitment to the brotherhood community.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of civil, military and ecclesiastical institutions, together with members of Lucena’s brotherhoods. It also featured a performance by the Sociedad Didáctico-Musical Banda de Música of Lucena, conducted by Miguel Herrero Martos, who performed three processional marches, futher enhancing the distinctive atmosphere of this type of celebration.

With the Proclamation, Lucena welcomed the beginning of a new Holy Week, as the town’s brotherhoods and confraternities now begin their penitential processions, bringing to fruition a year of dedication and preparation.