Vilanova dos Infantes Honors Our Lady of the Crystal

On September 15, Vilanova dos Infantes (Celanova) celebrated its traditional pilgrimage in honor of the Virxe do Cristal. The Marian shrine hosted religious and pagan ceremonies in honor of Our Lady, as part of a program that began over the weekend and included a novena attended by pilgrims from neighboring parishes, floral carpets, a torchlight procession on Saturday, and festivals every night, enlivened by various orchestras.

At 11:30 a.m., the Virgin set out in procession from the sanctuary. Following the traditional route through the streets of the medieval town of Vilanova dos Infantes, the statue, escorted by the solemn banners of the neighboring parishes, took center stage in the traditional “encontro” with Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian, and then presided over the solemn guild dance of the Danzantes de Vilanova. All of this was accompanied by the century-old Vilanova Marching Band. Upon returning to the sanctuary, the parishioners participated in the solemn outdoor Mass.

Tradition

The festival has its origins in the 17th-century appearance of a tiny image of the Virgin. It is a cylindrical glass carving whose creation remains a mystery to this day. That image, whose legend was popularized by the award-winning poet Manuel Curros Enríquez, disappeared in 2015 following a theft that shocked the town and which remains linked, in the memory of the residents, to the tragic death of their former parish priest, Don Adolfo. Since then, the image that presides over the pilgrimage has been a reproduction made of methacrylate.