Impressive Dolorosa entertainment in Tañarandy

Tens of thousands of lights illuminate the town of Tanalandi on Good Friday, reenacting La Dolerosa’s encounter with Christ. The small town in southern Paraguay holds this mysterious procession on the last Good Friday in April.

When the sun drops below the horizon, the candles must be lit. Then, a large group of people silently accompanies Our Lady of Sorrows in search of her son who fell on the cross. The walk is accompanied by songs, prayers and beautiful thoughts. In this particular southern town, religion plays a very important role and it finally took place two years after the pandemic forced its citizens to suspend the popular celebrations.

In total, more than 50,000 candles are lit, their wicks dipped in beef fat on orange peels. This peculiar tradition makes the path followed by the popular night procession look more beautiful than anywhere else.

The entire ground is lit up by a dimly lit road, with the glow of a full moon. The route is five kilometers long and ends at the San Ignacio Temple, a few hours’ drive from the Paraguayan capital. The building dates back to the first native building built by the Jesuits in the country.

The Jesuits also founded 30 towns that tested Thomas More’s utopia, but were ultimately expelled by the Spanish crown in the 18th century. Fifteen years later, the expulsion occurred without leaving the site.

Our Lady of Sorrows

The protagonist of this celebration is La Dolorosa, who was kept in a cave until she emerged in a state of sorrow and pain. The original wood carving was conceived four centuries ago by the indigenous peoples of the Jesuit mission. In his honor, the moment when the Virgin Mary found Jesus Christ taken down from the cross is recreated inside the church. The statue of Christ was carved in polychrome wood in 1669.

This year is a special year, and the suspension of pandemic restrictions has aroused great expectations. For this reason, the parish priest wanted to add new colors to the festival and present the image of the crucified Christ to the entire public. This relic has only been exhibited twice: once during the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1988 and again during the visit of Pope Francis in 2015.

This scene reflects peace, faith and confidence, love that transcends even death itself, as Jesus Christ later rose again through his resurrection. It is undoubtedly a message of hope in this moment of rebirth as the pandemic draws to a close.

The importance of this holiday during difficult times

Many citizens thank God that the virus has lost its strength, partly thanks to vaccinations. This is important because Dolorosa tends to attract mainly the older generations of society. For them, religion is a very important pillar, but health-wise they are more fragile, and being able to attend this event is a very big boost in their lives.

In addition to retirees or seniors, excited young people were seen, and the public participation brought back light to Tanalandi. There is no doubt that La Dolorosa is becoming more and more popular in the town, and even generates some tourist value outside the town. With all this in mind, we will briefly summarize the most noteworthy points during last Good Friday:

• Around 10,000 people took part in the procession in Tanalandi, which is gaining popularity and is welcomed by foreigners.
• The town tried to enhance the beauty of the celebrations by designing a huge corn and coconut altar, which could be seen during the central Mass led by Pope Francis in 2015. The artist, named Koki Ruiz, is used to participating in these events. At 64, he has plenty of experience.
• On the other hand, it also points to the thirst for deity among the people of Paraguay. This religious tendency has been present since the time when the indigenous peoples worshipped their god, Tupá. Since then, there has always been a culture that values ​​art over weapons, and all these celebrations are still appreciated today.
• Another highlight is the mass celebrations where people do not wear masks. After the arrival of the global pandemic, the parades were suspended for two years. In this particular town, there are almost no obligations during the Good Friday celebrations.
• Finally, it should be noted that the Paraguayan people know how to organize celebrations with style, but after such a long period of lockdown, the importance of this type of celebration for society is clearer than ever.