According to tradition passed down from generation to generation, it was on June 2nd, 1586, that the Virgen de La Peña appeared to the shepherds Juan and Asunción at El Compás, where the tower of the old castle of the town once stood. 439 years later, Mijas still commemorates this event with various activities organised by the Brotherhood of Nuestra Señora de la Peña, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary, as explained by the brotherhood’s commissioner, Manuel Díaz.

The 439th anniversary of the appearence of the Virgin began on Friday 30th with a triduum in honour of the patron saint, that day dedicated to the elderly and the sick, Saturday 31st to young people and children and Sunday 1st to families. The main events coincided with the anniversary, with the dawn rosary being recited on Monday morning from the parish church of the Inmaculada Concepcion to the hermitage and followed by the ringing of bells at noon. In the afternoon, the events continued with the recitation of the rosary, a Eucharist, a children’s floral offering and the touching of the mantle of the Virgen de La Peña. "I am deeply moved by this day, June 2nd, which commemorates that discovery, that apparition, that manifestation of God in Mijas with his mother, Virgin Mary, who is aptly named as the Virgen of La Peña appeared here", said the parish priest of Mijas Pueblo, Hermán Marcel Lunar.

During the event, it was also announced that this year's town crier for the festivities in honour of the patron saint will be the Mijas Local Police, a recognition of their connection with the perpetual mayoress (the Virgen de La Peña), since last year marked the 30th anniversary of the first time they carried her image during her transfer from the hermitage to the church on August 29th. "We wanted it to be something a little more collective, more group-oriented, something that would somehow unite the feelings of the entire Mijas community, and what better than the Local Police, which is also a body closely linked to this brotherhood and to the devotion to the Virgin", explained the commissioner of the Brotherhood of the Virgen of La Peña. “We will uphold that legacy and strive to honour it because for us it’s a great source of pride to carry the Virgin every 29th of August and to accompany her in procession and escort her every 8th of September", said the chief inspector of the Mijas Local Police, Juan Manuel Rosas, who remembered those who started this tradition, and assured that it will be passed on to new local police officers. He also remembered the founding members of the brotherhood, especially Lázaro Jaime.

 

Devotion in Mijas
The Mijas Town Hall highlighted the importance of this event and the devotion of the town to its patron saint. "This day symbolises a deep belief and faith in our patron saint, the Virgen of La Peña, in Mijas and in many other places as well, as so many people come to see her from all over, and today we could see the sanctuary filled”. said the mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP). For his part, the spokesperson for Vox and deputy mayor of the town, Juan Carlos Cuevas Dawson, wanted to "congratulate all the people of Mijas for keeping our tradition and our Virgin as cherished as ever". "It is a source of pride for all the people of Mijas and long live the Virgen of La Peña!", concluded Cuevas Dawson. For his part, the spokesperson for Por Mi Pueblo and also a councillor in the local government, Juan Carlos Maldonado, considered that Monday was "an example of devotion to the patron saint, the perpetual mayoress" and thanked "so many people who have been maintaining this legacy for so many years". The PSOE councillor Laura Moreno highlighted the importance of "remembering all those people who have made it possible for the brotherhood to have such strength today and to have so many devotees because they have given visibility to the Virgen de La Peña’.

Neighbours and devotees also accompanied the patron saint on the 439th anniversary of her appearance, reaffirming their faith in her. As the faithful recalled, this is one of the biggest days in Mijas for their patron saint, along with the transfer of the image in August and the day of the Virgen of La Peña on September 8th.

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