Tuesday 3 January 2012

Balasar, "privileged Parish”


Jesus, speaking of the relationship of the Holy Cross with Alexandrina, said Balasar "privileged parish" ("almost a century past that I sent to this privileged parish the Cross for sign of your crucifixion") and "beloved land."
Is it possible to find some sense of special privilege in Balasar even before the appearance of the Holy Cross?

Ancient image of Our lady of Mercy
 
Originally, the area of this parish had two parishes: St. Salvador of Gresufes and St. Eulália of Balasar. Since, according parish memories, at church of Matinho (the parish one since 16th century), among the five existing altars, one was dedicated to Our Lord Jesus Christ (1736) or to the Crucified Lord (1758), we think that with it was kept in memory the patron saint of the old parish of Gresufes.
To the niche of the Lord of the Afflicted in Vila Pouca hamlet, can be assigned the same task.
To the definitive annexation of Gresufes, the parish church of Balasar was on Casal; later demoted to a chapel, in it was venerated Our Lady of Mercy, who is the Mother of God holding her dead Son in her lap.
We can say that the appearance of Holy Cross and its devotion were long prepared in Balasar and it fit into the plan would have privilege assigned to the parish.
The appearance of Holy Cross is a very relevant fact. Whether other alleged sightings of the same Cross are more legend than reality, in the case of Balasar the appearance is very well documented.
But that Jesus himself associated Alexandrina with this appearance raises to the greatest height the importance that the phenomenon already deserved and makes Balasar a "privileged parish".

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