SW News: Flowers in different hues are the most popular votive offerings given to the Blessed Virgin during processions on Marian feasts. This year’s procession marking the feast day of Our Lady of Almudena, the patroness of the Spanish capital Madrid will be a tasty affair. The Archdiocese of Madrid has appealed to believers to attend the iconic procession on November 9 with flowers as well as non-perishable food items that will be redistributed to the poor.

The baroque statue of Our Lady will be taken in a procession through the city streets on November 9 for the first time after the outbreak of the pandemic. Ahead of the feast, the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena will host a triduum in honor of the Blessed Mother on November 5, 6 and 7 and there will be Holy Mass. On Saturday, November 6, there will be a concert of the Municipal Symphonic Band in the cathedral. On November 9, the sacred image will be taken in a procession through Bailen Streets and the surroundings of the Plaza de Oriente to the Royal Palace after Holy Mass in the cathedral.

The motto of the procession is ‘Hope for Madrid’ as Our Lady once again visits city residents who are returning to normal life after the easing of restrictions. The food items collected on the day of the feast will be distributed to the needy through the archdiocesan wing of Caritas and the Sant’Egidio Community.

The medieval statue of Our Lady of Almudena depicts the Virgin carrying Baby Jesus. Tradition states that before the town fell into the hands of invading Muslim Moors from North Africa, believers hid the sacred image of the Virgin inside the walls of the fort. When King Alfonso VI of Castile re-conquered Madrid in the 11th century, the soldiers tried in vain to find the exact spot where the statue was hidden. When their attempts failed, they resorted to prayer. After many days of praying, they attempted to find it once again and this time a portion of the fort collapsed revealing the statue inside. Since then, it has been enshrined in the cathedral.