Project for the world’s biggest Jesus becomes strength in Spain

A group of laity promotes in Spain the construction of the greatest monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which aims to offer an experience of multisensory faith in the town of Boadilla del Monte, near Madrid.

The initiative started in 2019, when after a signature collection, approval by the municipal plenary was achieved, without votes against, the transfer of a plot for the placement of the monument.

The Devotos Association of the Sacred Heart of Boadilla was clear from the beginning that the project to build the monument should be financed by popular subscription and that its vocation is to leave a legacy.

“As in the past, devotion was raising cathedrals, so to speak, we want to testify to our faith, and ours and that of so many others that will accompany us, through this possibility,” explains Aci Press Raquel Hornillos, a member of the association.

After evaluating several projects, they finally opted for the artist’s proposal JAVIER LIVEwhich conceives the project as “a monument for the 21st century in which people had contact with the heart, a heart communication with the heart of Jesus,” according to Aci Press.

The fact that it is projected that the monument measures a meter more than the CHRIST ENCOGERA DE BRAZIL —Alcancing the 37 meters, ”he responds to a certain communication strategy, as Viver A Aci Press acknowledges, but above all to favor the experience:” The volume allows to generate a diaphanous space in which people can convene around that heart of Jesus. “

KEYS OF THE PROJECT SUGGESTED BY THE CARMELITAS

Visitors will arrive on a road from a land located below the monument and access it through five doors, following the proposal of a community of Carmelite sisters located in Boadilla del Monte: “They told me five have to be the doors because five are the sores of Jesus.”

These religious also contributed another key idea. Initially, visitors were going to rise to the heart, which demanded a more complex structural system. However, the Carmelites changed their minds to Viver:

“After being praying in front of the mock of the heart for a few weeks, they told me: ‘It makes no sense that people rise to the heart because it is always the heart of Jesus who goes down to earth, becomes very close and thus everyone can approach hug,” he explains.

The monument will be oriented to the rising sun, in such a way that “the first light of each day will cross its open side, will illuminate the gold of its heart and at that time a system of pulleys will be activated and very slowly descends the heart to the earth.”

During the day, visitors will have at your fingertips the heart in a multisensory experience that they can hug and, at the end of the day, when last night, the heart will rise to their anatomical position and light up. Thus, through all the sores, the wounds of the flagellation of the side, it will light at night like a lighthouse.

The artist emphasizes that, in any case, what he can offer with his creative ability is to “create sounds, experiences, sensations and then the Holy Spirit does his work.”

Financing and deadlines

More than five years later since the initiative was launched, their drivers consider that the time has come to launch the Contribution campaign. The truth is that in just a few days donations have multiplied, although they are still far from the target.

As detailed in The project websitethe estimated budget is 17 million euros, of which the vast majority is intended for the construction of the monument, which will need a central reinforced concrete structure plus two of fiberglass or carbon for the arms, among others.

For the face, advanced techniques will be used, based on artificial intelligence, which will allow the face of the man who was wrapped with the holy sheet that was guarded in Turin.

In the heart of the monument, the names of the donors will be registered, in line with the promise of the Sacred Heart to Santa Margarita María de Alacoque: “All those who spread the devotion will have their name recorded in my heart for all eternity.”

The first stone is expected to be placed on the day of the Sacred Heart of 2027 and that the construction work will be extended until June 2030, when it is expected to be inaugurated.

The monument promotes charity works

Eva Fernández, a member of the promoter team, explains to ACI Press that it is not just about offering a multisensory experience, but has to serve to boost charity works.

“We have thought that the best thing is that the charity works that entail all love to the heart of Jesus are also opened. So actions, works of mercy related to both body works and spiritual works will be carried out,” he says.

This is not something that will be done once the monument is over, but is already being launched: “the groups are being mounted so that these works are carried out and 10% of the proceeds before the construction of the monument will go to cover these works.”

Once inaugurated, “60% of what is collected through the exploitation of the monument will go to the works of mercy,” adds Fernández.

In relation to this and the issue about the size of the project, Javier Viver adds that “the greatest is an act of love, and that is what we want to encourage, that there are many small acts of love, that would be the great success of the monument.”

Beyond the size, of the figures and the technical details, the artist emphasizes that the monument to the Sacred Heart of Boadilla del Monte has a clear vocation of “approaching love.”