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Each day we went to Catechesis at the Palacio de Desportes (Sports Palace), a large indoor arena. |
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I believe it was the largest of the English speaking catechesis sites in the city. |
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Archbishop Dolan larger than life. Watch the full talk at http://wydcentral.org/videos/catechesis-with-archbishop-dolan |
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Each day we turned it into a Church. |
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The Royal Palace (Palacio Real), official residence of the King of Spain (although he doesn't reside there). Here seen from the Plaza de Oriente. |
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The Catedral de la Almudena. Construction began in 1879, but wasn't completed until 1993 (consecrated by John Paul II). |
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The upper part of the Neo-Gothic Cathedral was closed for the pope's visit, so we saw the Neo-Romanesque crypt. |
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The crypt houses a 16th century image of the Virgen de la Almudena. |
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The Virgin of Almudena is a medieval image, but the name derives from the Arabic term of Al Mudayna, or "the citadel". |
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The story is that in 712, when about to be captured by Muslim forces, the inhabitants of the town hid the image of the virgin inside the walls surrounding the town. |
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In the 11th century, when Madrid was re-conquered by the King Alfonso VI of Castile, the Christian soldiers found the Virgin when the spot on the wall hiding it miraculously crumbled revealing the statue. |
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Therefore the Virgin of Almudena is the patroness of Madrid. |
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Here it is, the Virgin of Almudena, sorry for the poor picture quality. |
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Awaiting the arrival of Pope Benedict at the Plaza de Cibeles for the Stations of the Cross. |
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El Papa! |
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Benedicto! |
