Rocío opens third Jubilee Year ahead of Virgin's transfer to Almonte on August 19

Opening ceremony at El Rocío

On Saturday, August 15, 2026, the village of El Rocío in Huelva opened its third Jubilee Year, granted by the Holy See on the occasion of the upcoming transfer of the Virgin del Rocío to Almonte. Bells and fireworks announced the start of the ceremony minutes before 11:00 AM at the Monument of the Coronation in the Real de la aldea. The secretary of the Hermandad Matriz, Manuel Simón Arangüete, read a letter to the rocieros announcing the beginning of the jubilee period. The parish priest of Almonte, Francisco Miguel Valencia, then read the decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary, through which Pope Leo XIV grants plenary indulgence under the customary conditions, in response to petitions presented on the occasion of the solemn celebrations in honor of Our Lady of El Rocío.

The opening rite was followed by a pilgrimage procession to the Sanctuary, accompanied by the drum and flute band of the Hermandad Matriz. A youth group carried large baskets of flowers as an offering to the Virgin. Inside the Sanctuary, Bishop Santiago Gómez Sierra blessed attendees with water in remembrance of baptism before presiding over the eucharistic celebration. Among those present were the president of the Hermandad Matriz, Santiago Padilla, the Hermano Mayor, Juan de los Santos, the mayor of Almonte, Francisco Bella, and the Junta de Gobierno of the brotherhood. The Coral Polifónica Alborada de Bollullos Par del Condado provided the music.

Bishop's homily

During his homily, Gómez Sierra described the Jubilee Year as an opportunity for personal renewal and conversion, linking it to the feast of the Assumption of Mary.

It is time to return. We all need a jubilee, for God to tell us: You can start over. This Jubilee Year of El Rocío is an opportunity of grace that the Lord grants to all of us.

The bishop also spoke of the jubilee as a path of conversion.

The Jubilee speaks to us of a path of conversion, of return to God, and the Assumption of Mary shows us how that path ends, what its goal is: God, heaven.

Gómez Sierra warned against the loss of personal responsibility in contemporary society, criticizing the tendency to blame "society, structures, social media or politics" for what goes wrong. He urged the rociero community to ask itself "Lord, what do you want me to do?" and emphasized that the jubilee itinerary should not be understood as a mere formality. The Jubilee Year is celebrated under the motto "Follow her steps," described as an invitation to walk with Mary toward Christ. Gómez Sierra recalled that Mary "set out on the way," noting that she carries Jesus and with him the true joy that the people of Almonte await.

Rocío Chico and the transfer

This is the third Jubilee Year granted by the Holy See to the Rocío devotion and the first expressly granted for the transfer of the Virgin to Almonte. The transfer, known as the Venida de la Virgen, is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, the first such transfer in seven years. The image, dressed in her shepherdess regalia, will be carried on the shoulders of almonteños along the path of Los Llanos, with no fixed departure time.

Before the transfer, Almonte will celebrate the Rocío Chico, four days of worship renewing a vow of thanksgiving that dates to 1813. The triduo will be held on August 16, 17, and 18 at 21:15, including the rosary, the triduo exercise, and the eucharist. The celebrations will culminate on August 19 at 10:00 AM with the Solemn Function of the Vow, presided by Gómez Sierra and sung by the Coral Polifónica Cultural de La Palma del Condado, followed by a eucharistic procession around the Sanctuary. At the end of the opening celebration, the president of the Hermandad Matriz, Santiago Padilla, referenced a project initiated in 2012 that the brotherhood has consolidated.