Feast of San Benitiño de Lérez
Lérez honours its most miraculous saint
The pilgrimage of San Benitiño is a very familiar festivity with singular rituals.
There are two days marked on the calendar in Lérez, near Pontevedra: 21 March and 11 July. On these days, the town of As Rías Baixas honours what is considered one of the most miraculous and venerated saints , Saint Benedict. Known as San Benitiño de Lérez, this is a pilgrimage in which the faithful are counted by the hundreds.
This celebration has been declared of Tourist Interest in Galicia since 1998. Two rituals stand out in particular: the anointing of the finger in the oil lamp, blessed and burnt, which is located near the saint and to which miraculous properties are attributed, and the tradition of passing under the altar. Although the origin of this custom is unknown, it is a habit present in numerous processions in As Rías Baixas.
It is also common to offer the saint, seeking his intercession, different candles and figures that represent those parts of the body that one seeks to heal or protect. In the same way, some of the faithful choose to pass a handkerchief over the image of Saint Benedict with which they will later rub their bodies.
In a tradition spread throughout the province, the pilgrimage of San Benito de Pardesoa in Forcarei, for example, stands out. In addition to the church's own religious services, the popular procession of Lérez stands out, in which numerous devotees gather. The cult of Saint Benedict originated in the High Middle Ages and spread through the Cistercian Order . He is known for his ability to cure all kinds of skin conditions, especially warts.
Gastronomic suggestions
In addition to the devotion itself, as in all pilgrimages in As Rías Baixas, gastronomy is also very present in the Lérez pilgrimage, with different culinary proposals typical of the area. Families and friends usually share a meal in the surroundings of the monastery of San Benito.
It is worth mentioning that this old Benedictine monastery has Baroque and Neoclassical elements , as it has undergone various alterations and modifications. Likewise, its church is neoclassical with a baroque façade from the 18th century, where the image of Saint Benedict can be seen.
A very venerated saint in the province.
Although the feast of Saint Benedict of Lérez is the most famous in As Rías Baixas, in other municipalities of the province he is also worshipped with a great tradition. The celebrations attract hundreds of worshippers from different parts of the region. The most important are San Benito de Pardesoa (Forcarei), Domaio (Moaña), O Mosteiro (Meis), Lores (Meaño), Cambados and Xaxán (Lalín).
