Tailor Made Holidays in Venezuela: In the News

Venezuelan procession began in Spain: 14-01-2008

Among the more exciting religious festivals to take place in Venezuela is the 'Procession de la Divina Pastora'.

The festival celebrates the patron saint of the province of Lara and a large procession from Santa Rosa to Barquismeto marks the event.

A statue of the divine shepherdess takes the five kilometre journey surrounded by celebrants, musicians and devoted worshippers.

Visitors to the area who miss the January festival will have to wait until Easter before they can see the statue again as the virgin remains in Barquismeto until Easter when she returns to Santa Rosa.

The festival originated in Spain where a Cpuchin monk was said to have had a vision of a 'holy shepherdess'. He then commissioned a statue to be built which appeared in a public procession.

A bishop in Venezuela heard the news and commissioned his own statue which stayed in Santa Rosa after it could not be moved.

The procession has been going since 1856 when an epidemic was stopped following a procession with the statue.


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