Faith and national mourning converge in Venezuelan festival
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Thousands of Venezuelans gathered in El Valle del Espíritu Santo on Margarita Island to celebrate the Nativity of the Virgen del Valle, their patron saint.
This year’s festivities combined religious devotion with national mourning and expressions of gratitude. Organisers draped the image of the Virgen del Valle with a black ribbon and the Venezuelan flag to acknowledge the country’s recent hardships. Monseñor Fernando Castro Aguayo led a solemn mass attended by many faithful who renewed their vows and made requests.
Marisel Velásquez, the Governor of Nueva Esparta, and Daniella Cabello, the Minister of Tourism, joined other regional leaders at the traditional midnight mass. The celebrations also included a show of support for 595 families displaced by recent earthquakes that struck La Guaira on June 24. Governor Velásquez pledged institutional support to help these families rebuild their homes on the island and emphasized that the saint’s protection extends to believers both within Venezuela and abroad.
Ana Carmen Mata Bellorín, caretaker of the Virgen del Valle, described the special baroque-style white dress adorned with flowers that the statue wore, a gift from a family in Lechería as thanks for answered prayers. Devotees like Ana Marval and Carlos López shared how the tradition of honouring the Virgen del Valle has been passed down through generations, providing faith and hope to Venezuelan families.
