Pretext to pay tribute to Venezuela!

Pretext to pay tribute to Venezuela! | WEEK 279

Today I'm motivated to pay tribute to all those who enjoy the weekends, brought to you by Hive account@galenkp with his Weekend Engagement Themes initiative.

I also want to dedicate this weekend trip to #Venezuela, to the Venezuelans, and especially to Hive account@jesuslnrs and Hive account@bulkathos, based on their most recent experiences that they have been sharing with us.

On the one hand, it turns out that just today the first Venezuelan saints will be canonized in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. A Venezuelan choral group, of which Hive account@jesuslnrs is a member, will be present at this event. I can only imagine their excitement at experiencing something so significant for them.

On the other hand, Hive account@bulkathos recently shared with us a visit to the Church of Sainte-Chapelle. An iconic Venezuelan church located in Caracas, its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is an exact replica of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.

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Both events led me to head this weekend to the Holy Cathedral of Saint Clare of Assisi, a building located near the city center and the main church for Catholics in my province.

Built in 1940, in an imposing neo-Gothic style, it bears the spiritual protection of Saint Clare of Assisi, patron saint of the city, the Province of Villa Clara, and the Diocese that is also located in this city.

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When its doors open, we are greeted by a white Carrara marble sculpture in the French Gothic style, approximately three meters tall. Dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, popularly known as the Virgin of the Way, it is unique in that it was lost for many years and was found by chance in 1982, when it was uncovered in mud in one of the streams on the outskirts of the city.

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Its eclecticism is evident inside, with wonderful stained-glass windows that allow colorful light to enter on each side and with images reminiscent of various religious events and personalities.

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Without much adornment, it offers a sober peace as we enter any of its corners.

I only regret noticing a certain state of disrepair at the base of its upper arches, but otherwise, it is a place that embraces us.

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I was baptized here at the age of fifteen, when I was a practicing baptismal priest, in a baptismal font that's more than three centuries old. It was a moment I fondly cherish because the person who baptized me is currently the Bishop of the Central Diocese of the country, a person who has always had the ability to connect with all generations and is a wonderful joker. Since I've almost always had long hair, when I was baptized, he joked that I had to immerse myself in the baptismal font because I had so much hair that it wouldn't get wet during the normal act of baptism. I have a photo of that moment, but I'm not showing it here because I haven't found it. Perhaps if I find it sometime later, I'll share it with you.