Carlos J. MoralesI have discovered traits of St. Josemaría that continue to surprise me".St. Josemaría Escrivá's legacy lives onEscriva.org: St. Josemaría's works in a renewed and expanded websiteThe Prelature of Yauyos (Peru), an ecclesiastical jurisdiction located south of Lima and whose episcopal see is in the coastal city of San Vicente de Cañete, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the visit that St. Josemaría Escrivá made to Cañete on July 13, 1974.
On the occasion of the feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá (June 26) and the 50th anniversary of the saint's visit, a series of activities have been organized by the Prelature of Yauyos and the civil society of Cañete.
As usual, there will be a Novena in the Cathedral Church of San Vicente de Cañete offered by institutions and families; and a Solemn Mass on the 26th, presided by Monsignor Ricardo Garcia, Bishop Prelate of Yauyos. Also from July 26 to 13 there will be a photographic exhibition on "St. Josemaría and Cañete" in the Plaza de Armas of San Vicente.
On July 13, 2024, the 50th anniversary of the visit, a full-length image of St. Josemaría will be installed in the Plaza de Armas for the remembrance and devotion of all the people of Cañete.
The work of art, made by the artist Fredy Luque is a full life-size piece, bathed in bronze, which will be transported from the southern city of Arequipa and will be located in front of the Cathedral Church. The sculpture, offered by the bishopric, institutions and private citizens is a recognition of the Cañete society to the holy priest who had Yauyos and Cañete in his heart.
Saint Josemaría Escrivá and Cañete
The saintly Spanish priest had a special relationship with the Prelature of Yauyos from its beginnings, since it was Pope Pius XII who in 1957 created the Prelature and asked the founder of Opus Dei that his institution take charge of one of the new ecclesiastical jurisdictions that were being created in Peru. Monsignor Escrivá received the prelature that the others did not want, the Prelature of Yauyos.
Yauyos is a city nestled in the Andes at 2874 meters above sea level and was the first prelatic seat; the Andean province of Huarochirí was also part of the Prelature.
On October 2, 1957, he was sworn in Bishop Ignacio María de OrbegozoEscrivá de Balaguer, as well as five other Spanish priests, members of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. Later, in 1962, the province of Cañete was also annexed.
In July 1974, Monsignor Josemaría Escrivá was in Peru, and on the 13th he visited Cañete, where he had an unforgettable meeting with many parishioners of the Province of Cañete, which the saint "baptized" at that time with the nickname "Valle Bendito de Cañete" (Blessed Valley of Cañete), due to its fruitful land and wide coastline of profitable fishing activity; an expression that continues to be popular today to refer to the province of Cañete.
St. Josemaría lived very closely the evangelizing work in the Prelature of Yauyos, manifesting through his letters and prayer his closeness to the first priests and the Prelate of Yauyos, as well as encouraging them to form families and the search for native vocations.
In 1964 he started the Minor Seminary with the first students being the acolytes of the parishes; and in 1971 he started the Major Seminary "St. Joseph" with the first native vocations.
St. Josemaría was very fond of the people of Cañete, as a sign of this, in 1964 he gave the image of "Holy Mary, Mother of Fair Love", located in her Sanctuary in San Vicente, as a gift.
In the same way, St. Josemaría was very interested in the human, economic, social and cultural development of the Prelature of Yauyos. This was made possible through two projects in San Vicente de Cañete, the "Valle Grande" and "Condoray" institutes, run from the beginning by professional laymen of Opus Dei. Today these two institutes are referents in Cañete.
St. Josemaría continues to intercede from heaven for his many faithful devotees in the Prelature of Yauyos, some of whom still have the vivid memory of that visit on July 13, 1974.
