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One of the most important days in the festive calender of the municipality of San Javier is the day of the Virgen del Carmen, during which the figurte of the patron of fishermen and mariners is taken out to sea in a fishing boat in a marine Romería.
Devotion to the Virgen del Carmen
The history of devotion to the Virgen del Carmen goes way back in history, 300 years before Christ was born, to Galilee and a mountain called the Carmelo, the Hebrew word for garden.
In 300 BC a great drought threatened the livelihood of all those living in the area, and the holy men living on the mountain, amongst them the Prophet Elias, joined with those praying for rain. While praying on the mountain top he saw a vast white cloud which came from the sea and rose into the air, bringing the much longed-for rain.
Elias interpreted this as being a sign of the coming of a saviour, who would be conceived from a virgin and would bring a rain of blessings. From then on, the community dedicated itself to praying for the mother of the redeemer, and for her arrival, the result of which was the emergence of the Carmelites, whose devotion was to our Lady of Carmen, the Virgen del Carmen.
The dedication of 16th July as the day of the Virgen del Carmen is due to an Englishman named Simon Stock, who founded various monasteries dedicated to the cult of the Virgin across Europe in the 13th century. On 16th July 1251, the Virgin is said to have appeared to him holding a scapular in her hands, saying the words: "Let this be a sign and privilege for you and for all Carmelites: whoever dies, using the scapular will never suffer eternal fire."
(A scapular is a piece of cloth worn by religious orders, having originated as an apron, but is also a devotional item consisting of two small pieces of cloth, or laminated paper joined by two longer pieces of cloth, normally bearing religious texts.)
By the Middle Ages the Virgen del Carmen had become known as the "Estrella del Mar" and was of particular significance for sailors who are guided by the stars of the sea. The Virgin thus became the star who guides us through the difficult waters of life to safe port, the port being the love of Christ.
By the 18th century the cult of the Virgen del Carmen was widespread in Spain and towards the end of the 18th century Spanish Admiral Antonio Barceló Pont de la Terra decided to change the patronship of Spanish sailors from that of Saint Telmo to that of the Virgen del Carmen.
There is often a "Barrio del Carmen" in Spanish cities, a district named in her honour, and it is normal for there to be a celebration in any Barrio del Carmen on the 16th July. In the Region of Murcia, the acts of homage to the Virgin are documented as beginning in 1792.
The Virgen del Carmen in Santiago de la Ribera
In San Javier there is sometimes confusion surrounding the festivities of the Virgen del Carmen as the Barrio del Carmen in San Javier does not contain the church from which the figure of the Virgin emerges before being carried out to sea.
The municipality of San Javier formed in 2 main urban nuclei: the main centre, which was established at the junction of historical pathways, used by travellers, shepherds and traders, and Santiago de la Ribera, a population centre which was built up during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As the urban centre of Santiago de la Ribera spread inland from the coast, new districts were added, one of them the Barrio of El Carmen. (see History of Santiago de la Ribera)
A chapel dedicated to the Virgin was built to service the religious needs of this community in 1982 and houses an image of the Virgen del Carmen throughout the year.
There are this two different images of the Virgen del Carmen of fishermen and mariners: one is kept in the Capilla del Carmen in the parish church of Santiago, by the seafront, and the second is in the Capilla del Carmen in the Barrio del Carmen.
Prior to the Romería on the 16th July, the Barrio del Carmen holds local fiestas with a number of activities, including a procession with the image. However, on the morning of 16th July the action switches down to the coast of Santiago de la Ribera: at 9.00 Mass is held, many of the participants wearing traditional fishing folk costumes, following which the Virgin, surrounded by flowers, is carried out of the church and along the seafront to the nearby jetty. The atmosphere is festive as she makes her way to the waiting fishing boat and a flotilla of leisure craft full of bunting, flowers and locals.
As many people as possible cram into their boats and the flotilla sails out into the Mar Menor to Lo Pagán, where the engines are switched off and a simple service commemorates those who have died at sea. Flowers are cast into the water and the flotilla returns.
Anyone with a motor boat is welcome to join in: if you know someone with a boat, encourage them to fill a coolbox with ice and beers, borrow a bit of bunting and head down to the seafront to join the maritime parade!
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