How do you prepare for Holy Week within the confraternities?
We live our faith deeply within the heart of the confraternities. Through popular religiosity, we are witnesses to the Gospel of Christ. We know that, for many, our witness is the only Gospel they will ever "read." It's a great responsibility.
What is the Salesian tradition in this context?
In our houses—especially in Andalusia—this time of year is buzzing with activity. Brothers and sisters prepare the pasos (religious floats), clean equipment, and get everything ready for the processions. At the same time, we also focus on spiritual preparation and faith formation.
How many confraternities are part of the council you coordinate?
The council includes 32 confraternities, mostly from the Andalusian region, but also from Levante, Huesca, and Catalonia.
Is there a generational shift happening? If so, how is this transition being carried out, and how do young people engage with the confraternities?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, young people are now the majority in many confraternities. In our Salesian settings, schools often introduce children to the confraternities from an early age. They start in youth groups and later take on leadership roles. Many even hold positions of responsibility. I can personally testify that our youth live their faith with great passion and dedication at the heart of the confraternities.
Is it new for a woman to hold your position?
Women are increasingly taking on leadership roles in the confraternities. In my own confraternity, Medinaceli-Esperanza in Algeciras, I served as Hermana Mayor (Grand Sister) for eight years starting in 2012—the first woman to do so. In another Algeciras confraternity, Borriquita-Alegría, Maite Jurado is currently the third woman to hold that role.
What message would you like to share this Holy Week?
I am fully aware and convinced that it is the Lord who shows us the way and places us where we are needed. We must respond to Him with a willing heart, always ready to follow His will. And always, always hand-in-hand with His Mother… Mary Help of Christians, who unites and accompanies us all.
Salesian Confraternities (HHCCSS)
Between April 11 and 20, 2025, towns and cities such as Alcalá de Guadaíra, Algeciras, Alicante, Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Elche, Granada, Huesca, Jerez de la Frontera, La Línea de la Concepción, Mataró, Málaga, Montilla, Morón de la Frontera, Palma del Río, Pozoblanco, San José del Valle, Sevilla, Úbeda, and Utrera will be alive with devotion as they host the traditional Holy Week processions of their Salesian confraternities (Hermandades y Cofradías Salesianas – HHCCSS). Around 30,000 members are expected to take part, highlighting the strength and vibrancy of this spiritual tradition.
But the identity of Salesian confraternities goes far beyond Holy Week rituals or Lenten observances. Day after day, these brotherhoods engage in social outreach, following Don Bosco’s example of caring for those most in need. This ongoing, often less visible, service is a vital part of their mission and a true expression of the Salesian spirit in action. It shows how faith must be lived out through service and community involvement, alongside religious devotion.
For the thousands of confraternity members, Holy Week is much more than a commemoration—it is a living experience of faith in community, a public expression of devotion, and a renewal of their social commitment in the spirit of Don Bosco.
Source: Salesianos.info
