The Bishop of Córdoba, Mgr. Demetrio Fernández, yesterday presided over a mass of thanksgiving for more than four centuries of prayer and presence of the community of Discalced Carmelites at the Convent of San José de Lucèneand farewell to the last two residents of Carmel Lucentin, who will leave it permanently in a few days, en route to another more significant closure in Cabrerain the Diocese of Salamancawhere it was asked to reform this convent, thus closing 412 years of presence in the city.
In the first pews of the convent church were the mayor of Lucena, Aurelio Fernández; and Gregorio Espejo, elder brother of the Royal Archconfraternity of María Santísima de Araceli, closely linked to the order, who will receive certain lands bequeathed to the religious community. Next to the priests, we found a representation of the order of Discalced Carmelites, which will ultimately receive the convent and its heritage. After the mass, the two Carmelites received the faithful who wanted to come and say goodbye to them. The mayor too, who gave them a painting representing the Virgin of Aracelifor which they woven the white Coronation mantle in 1948.
In a few days this Lucienne closure will be definitively closed. The cloistered convent of Saint Joseph of Lucenaon the avenue later dedicated to its owner, Saint Teresabegan its work in 1967 and welcomed the Carmelite community in 1971, after the sale of its old and dilapidated location between Juan Palma and La Villa streets, next to theat Plaza Nueva. The complex, which includes a charming church, the convent rooms and a large area of orchard and gardens, occupies almost 4,500 square meters, 1,642 built, classified as urban planning as social facilities.
Homily
At the exit, the two nuns, of Argentinian nationality, keep a cork board filled with photos of Pope Francis, who has been their guide and protector in recent years, and who brought them a short-lived fame in the news, after left them a message on their answering machine after trying to congratulate them on the New Year: “What do the nuns who cannot attend? I am the Pope Francis“. It now remains to be seen what will become of the convent. The Bishop of Cordoba was clear yesterday in his homily: “The Carmelites will know what will happen after these doors close. “I don’t know anything.”
Him neither The town hall. The mayor, Aurelio Fernández, emphasized that he had the opportunity to exchange his impressions for a few moments with the representation of the new owners of the religious complex, “without being able to specify anything”, because the order does not know exactly what The location of the property and its contents are .
