The Diocese of Caldas, in the department of Antioquia (Colombia), elevated the parish church of the municipality of Venice to the Sanctuary of the Patriarch San José, in the year dedicated to the Holy Custodian.
From now on, explained the still Bishop of Caldas, Mons. César Alcides Balbín Tamayo, this church will be a “sanctuary of veneration to Saint Joseph, on the occasion of this Josephine year, which began on December 8, 2020 and ends on December 8, 2020. December. It is a wonderful gift that Pope Francis gives us ”.
“The temple of the municipality of Venice receives the dedication with the relics of the first degree, original of the martyrs San Vicente, Deacon and San Eusebio de Vercelli,” the Prelate also reported.
In the Consecration mass On November 19, which was attended by civil and ecclesial authorities, the Bishop said that “the designation of the parish temple as the Sanctuary of the Patriarch Saint Joseph and its consecration fills us with immense joy in this parish that throughout its 125 years continues the steps of the Lord Jesus, committing himself to the proclamation of the Gospel of salvation ”.
The Prelate also indicated that “consecrating this temple leads us to think that God dwells among us, this holy house is the stone of encounter in which God consoles us.”
“This reminds us that we all want to be saints and we have the means to do so so that we can also live in communion with our brothers and sisters,” he stressed.
“Being a sanctuary implies a very high commitment to the Diocese of Caldas and the department (of Antioquia). We want to attract many to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ who serves the needy and at least fortunate, who goes out to meet others ”.
Regarding the preparations before the consecration, Fr. Edison Ortega, parish priest of the now Shrine, explained that they have prayed a lot and the faithful have been formed in the “knowledge of the life of Saint Joseph, his virtues that we must imitate as men of faith. We have visited our neighborhoods and sidewalks with the relics, prior to this extraordinary and exceptional event ”.
The website of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia highlights that the initiative for this consecration of the church as a Sanctuary came from Father Carlos Manuel Arenas Henao, who served for eight years as parish priest of Venice, between November 15, 2013 and August 3, 2021.
“In one of my moments of silence and personal recollection in 2020, before the start of the pandemic, I had the idea that this temple should be consecrated to Saint Joseph, due to the affection and affection that I have for the parish of Venice. Then I proceeded to make the request to the Bishop of the Diocese, Monsignor Cesar Alcides Balbín Tamayo, a request that I wanted to back up with a letter from the Mayor of Venice, Óscar Andrés Sánchez ”, explained the priest.
The Bishop then asked Rome for a relic of the first degree to embed in the altar, and from the Vatican they sent that of St. Eusebius of Vercelli.
The mayor of Venice, Óscar Andrés Sánchez, stated that Friday the 19th was a civic and cultural day in the municipality due to the consecration of the sanctuary.
“In the last two years, our municipality has become a must-see destination for nature and cultural tourism for those who visit Antioquia and the inhabitants of the Department,” said the mayor.
“In addition to the religious importance, it will also invite many more people to visit us, and that is why we continue to consolidate the local tourist circuit, the Cerro Tusa-Comfama park, the gastronomic route and strengthening the hotel industry,” he added.
– .
