May 25 Romería Virgen de la Rogativa in the countryside of Moratalla

A rural site with a long tradition of worship in the highlands of north-west Murcia

Very close to the boundary between the Region of Murcia and Castilla-La Mancha, on the high plateau of the municipality of Moratalla, is the small church of the “Ermita de la Rogativa”, which is overlooked by the highest points of the Region (Pico de Revolcadores at 2,027 m, El Servalejo, and y Peña Jarota at 1,946 m).

For most of the year this site remains largely isolated but every year on the last Sunday in May there is a “Romería” festive pilgrimage held in honour of the Virgen de la Rogativa. The reason for this event is the report in the year 1535 that a man called Ginés Martínez de Cuenca saw a White Dove flying over the land where he had planted crops, threw a stone at it to chase it away and managed to bring it down with a direct hit. As the bird fell to ground, the story goes, it was transformed into a manifestation of the Virgin Mary with blood seeping from her forehead.

This figure of the Virgin would plead for the salvation of sinners, hence the decision to build the large but architecturally rudimentary “Ermita de la Rogativa”.

At one point the place of worship was ruined by fire, but during the 16^th and 17^th centuries a new structure was built.

The events at the church this Sunday 25^th May are as follows:

16.00: Saying of the Rosary.

16.30: Holy Mass in honour of the Virgen de la Rogativa.

17.45: Romería to the site of the apparition.

18.30: Return to the Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Rogativa.

For more upcoming events in the Region of Murcia go to the What’s on section of Murcia Today.