With the presence of the Apostolic Nuncio – representative of the Pope – in Argentina, Mons. Miroslaw Adamczyk, this weekend the feast of Mary Help of Christians was celebrated in the Sanctuary of Colonia Vignaud, in the province of Córdoba (Argentina), which was attended by about 60,000 faithful.
The celebrations took place on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, and included the visit of the Bishop of San Francisco, Mons. Sergio Osvaldo Buenanueva; and the Bishop of Rafaela, Mons. Pedro Torres.
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Throughout the two days, a multitude of faithful arrived there on foot, on bicycles, motorcycles, and on horseback. On Saturday night, a folk music festival took place, with the presence of more than 1,000 horsemen representing different gaucho groups.
On Sunday, the activities began with the celebration of the Dawn Mass at 4:00 a.m. (local time), and Eucharistic celebrations at 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m., accompanied by the local choir and those from neighboring parishes.
The central Eucharist was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, declared the guest of honor by the provincial legislature of Córdoba, and concelebrated by the two bishops and priests present.
Evangelina Vigna, municipal mayor, welcomed the papal representative on behalf of the community, describing his visit as “a true honor” for Colonia Vignaud on such an important date at the community level, which has been taking place for 81 years to ask for protection of the Virgin.
“That the highest authority of the Church visits us today also represents a double challenge for us: to provide continuity as a local government to these spaces in support, accompanying the Church so that it continues to have a place for its faithful, and that they are heard,” expressed, according to the local newspaper La Opinion.
Provincial legislator Gustavo Tevez assured that María Auxiliadora is “a beacon of light and hope in our entire region”, which together with the Salesian Work guides the faith of the community.
For his part, Bishop Miroslaw Adamzcyk expressed: “I thank everyone for being so kind, the words of the authorities, above all, because I know that those words to me are because of being the representative of the Pope, the illustrious one is the Pope. Francisco”.
“On the last day of this month of May, Friday the 31st, I have an audience with the Holy Father in Rome, and I take this opportunity to greet the Holy Father on behalf of Colonia Vignaud,” he anticipated.
The papal representative highlighted that this Sunday two things were celebrated: the feast of Mary Help of Christians and the Solemnity of Pentecost, for which he called to take advantage of the visit to the Shrine “to renew our faith in the light of the Holy Spirit,” and gave his blessing .
After the celebration of the Eucharist, the procession took place that carried the image of the Virgin, patron saint of Argentine agriculture, to the Don Bosco Park, carried by the Fire Department and accompanied by a large number of horsemen.
In this context, Bishop Adamczyk gave his blessing on the gaucho groups and the pilgrims present.
In the afternoon there were Masses at 2:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with a large attendance of the faithful.
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.