The Diocese of Matagalpa celebrates its hundred years of canonical foundation; However, the arrival of its first centenary will be marked in history as a moment of persecution and repression against it by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, which prohibited public religious activities, so this important celebration will be relegated. to be done behind “closed doors.”
With its leader, Bishop Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, banished stateless and in exile, as well as seminarians and priests of the Diocese of Matagalpa also expelled from the country, the Church has resisted the attacks of the dictatorship and will be held in celebration at centenary three masses during this Thursday, December 19, which are probably under surveillance by the Sandinista police.
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The masses scheduled at the San Pedro Apostol Cathedral will be at six in the morning, 12 noon and 5:30 in the afternoon, and masses will be held simultaneously in the 27 parishes dispersed in more than 630 communities in the 13 municipalities that make up the Diocese.
“In honor of Our Lady of Sorrows, in memory of Our Lady of Hope, and on the eve of the 100 years of the canonical foundation of my blessed and beloved Diocese of Matagalpa, we pray for our beloved Nicaragua,” said Monsignor Álvarez during a mass held yesterday in Seville, Spain, after two years of not making the Eucharist official publicly.
After a year in prison, Monsignor Álvarez was released in January 2024 along with Monsignor Isidoro Mora, from the Diocese of Siuna; to 13 priests and three seminarians, all sent to Rome and denationalized by the regime for being strong critics of the abuses and violations of human rights in the country.
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For the Catholic journalist Manuel Obando, the celebration of the hundred years of the Diocese of Matagalpa, within a context of repression, is a confirmation that the diocese has been on the right path.
«The Diocese has borne fruit; The tree that bears the most fruit is the one that is hit the most. Reaching 100 years, although in this situation, will be celebrated with thanksgiving, but also in a sense of penance, because they arrive with the bishop gone, more than half of their clergy gone, and with parishes that do not have priests on time. complete,” said Obando.
Catholics send messages to the diocese
The Latin American Confederation of Religious (CLAR) sent a message of hope to the Catholic people of Nicaragua and especially to the Catholics of Matagalpa for the first Centennial of the Diocese of Matagalpa this December 19, highlighting the faithfulness of God in the face of the repression exercised by the Ortega dictatorship.
“One hundred years of history show the faithfulness of God, who in the midst of deeply Easter journeys walks the path of love and freedom with his people,” says Liliana Franco Echeverri, president of the CLAR.
The CLAR called on the faithful of Matagalpa to keep hope alive and work in unity and solidarity. “With you we cling to the hope that better times will come and that we must wait for them, like Mary, standing next to the cross and the crucified of history,” the letter says.
The Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) also joined in the messages of solidarity and support for the Diocese of Matagalpa. “In a particular way we remember so many men and women who have contributed with their selfless service to the pastoral care of the various communities, as well as to the proclamation of the Gospel so that Christ is known and loved by all,” says the letter sent.
Without mentioning the repression, CELAM called on the diocese to continue the path of prayer to overcome adversity. “The lights and shadows on this path will surely allow you to visualize how the Lord has been accompanying you, often in a very delicate way, and continues to do so, assisting you with the strength of the Holy Spirit to overcome any adversity and renew you in faith,” he says. the missive
The Diocese of Matagalpa was created on December 19, 1924 by bull Animarum Saluti of Pope Pius XI. Monsignor Isidoro Carrillo y Salazar took office as its first bishop in 1925. Since then, eight bishops have held the religious position, Monsignor Álvarez became the ninth bishop of the diocese upon assuming office in 2011.
