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La Rioja (Agenzia Fides) – In the wake of the recently concluded Jubilee of Hope, the Bishop of La Rioja, Dante Braida, has announced the opening of a Diocesan Jubilee to mark the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Blesseds Enrique Angelelli, Carlos de Dios Murias, Gabriel Longueville, and Wenceslao Pedernera, whom he described as a gift of the Holy Spirit for the Church of La Rioja.
The prelate emphasized how the martyrs’ witness continues to inspire a faithful listening to the Gospel, along with a concrete commitment to justice, reconciliation, and closeness to the poor. He invited everyone to experience this Jubilee, whose motto will be "Easter in La Rioja, joy of the People," as a true spiritual and pastoral event, capable of renewing the baptismal identity, pastoral charity, Christian hope, and missionary zeal of all the People of God.
The event was announced during the celebration, presided over by Braida on January 1, 2026, on the occasion of the feasts of Saint Nicholas of Bari and the Divine Child Jesus, in the atrium of the Cathedral of La Rioja, dedicated to the patron saint. On that occasion, the bishop shared a pastoral message focused on Christian hope, the witness of local martyrs, and the social and ecclesial challenges of our time.
Braida expressed the joy of the people of La Rioja in gathering around their patron saint and highlighted the significance of the recent Jubilee, experienced as a time of grace that has illuminated various human and pastoral realities. He recalled the numerous jubilees celebrated in the diocese—dedicated to workers, educators, families, catechists, communicators, prison ministry, and the care of our common home, among others—as signs of a hope that inspires and transforms.
Also recalling the recent Tinkunaco, the main popular religious ceremony (see Fides, 13/2/2025), the bishop emphasized its value as a symbol of peace, encounter, and fraternity, and called for the promotion of a culture of dialogue that overcomes divisions and conflicts, following the spirit expressed by his predecessor, Enrico Angelo Angelelli Carletti, who defined the Tinkunaco as a “cry of hope.”
At the end of the ceremony, Bishop Braida addressed various social challenges, including the need to strengthen participatory democracy, the care of water and our common home, the social situation of the province, the declining birth rate, and the defense of life at all its stages. He concluded by entrusting the new year to the intercession of Saint Nicholas and the martyrs of La Rioja, asking for serenity, joy, and renewed hope for all the people.
The designated pilgrimage sites will be the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Bari, the parish church of El Salvador in El Chamical, the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Sañogasta, the Hermitage of El Pastor in Punta de los Llanos, and the Grotto of the Martyrs in Bajo de Lucas. The Cross of the Martyrs of El Chamical and the relics will accompany the patronal celebrations throughout the year, with special activities planned for July and August. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 8/1/2026)
