Thousands of people gathered in Caracas to receive news they had been waiting for for years: that Dr. José Gregorio Hernández and mother Carmen Rendiles were finally declared saints, the first from Venezuela. La Candelaria was the center of the ceremony: between the church and the square, attendees celebrated with music and dance the canonization of these figures of faith who dedicated their lives to serving, especially the most vulnerable.
Although it was a historic day, the crowd was not as expected. Since Saturday night the first faithful began to arrive, some with the intention of dawn. As the hours passed, fatigue made itself felt: there were those who, barely Pope Leo XIV announced the canonization after 5:00 in the morning, They left as a family, taking their folding chairs or stools. Among the attendees Elderly people, citizens with disabilities were seen and groups of young people also stood out who contributed energy to the environment and remembered that devotion transcends generations..
The plaza, newly remodeled and open to the public that same day, still smelled of fresh cement. Three giant screens broadcast the atmosphere of the place and, later, the ceremony from the Vatican. On the sides of the imposing statue of the saint, The Church located the image that normally rests on its altar and a painting by Carmen Rendiles, decorated with flowers. On one side, a small stage was installed where religious groups and musicians performed traditional bagpipes. Most of the attendees gathered in front of her, amidst singing, applause and prayers.
Learning, highlights Yván González, is May all Venezuelans follow these examples of life. to build “the country we want.”
“From Mother Carmen, learning resilience. Being born without an arm is a reason for improvement and something that motivates us to, even in limitations, achieve healing and praise God. From José Gregorio, service and dedication to those most in need. These are examples that we must all follow to build the country we want,” he declared to The National.
Before being a saint, José Gregorio Hernández was already a saint
Faithful and non-believers alike agree that their bond with the doctor of the poor comes, to a large extent, from the devotion transmitted by their mothers, grandparents and other relatives. Thus, although for the Church José Gregorio Hernández is officially a saint as of this Sunday, For Venezuelans, they have considered him this way for many years and attribute millions of “little miracles” to him..
His great miracle: the salvation of Yaxury Solórzano, a 10-year-old girl who was shot in the head in 2017 in a distant village in the Guárico state by criminals who were trying to steal his father’s motorcycle. After hours of waiting because there was no surgeon to treat her, the prognosis that the doctors gave her was not encouraging. If he survived, he would be left with serious consequences: motor disabilities, speech, memory and vision, due to loss of brain mass.
Her mother, Carmen Ortega, is devoted to José Gregorio Hernández and asked him to save her daughter. Days after the surgery, the girl, who is now 18 years old, began to show improvements and was discharged completely healthy. without the consequences that had been predicted.
For the Vatican, a second miracle was not necessary to advance to canonization because the late Pope Francis considered that not only national, but international devotion towards the blessed, and the reliable evidence of the miracle in Yaxury Solórzano They were enough to sanctify it.
There was faith and joy. Some cried silently upon hearing the names of José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles, while others raised flags or their lit candles with emotion.
“I am very happy to be here and celebrate this unique moment for the Church of Venezuela: having two saints. That God has given us the holiness of José Gregorio and Mother Carmen is wonderful. “You feel joy and it is enormous satisfaction,” said González, who stated that, through their daily lives, Venezuelans also “they can be saints just like them.”
“José Gregorio is an icon in Venezuela and represents us in that service and particularly that devotion has come from our ancestors, from our grandparents, from our parents, who have explained to us that devotion to José Gregorio. And with María Carmen it has been more recent, I have a very great devotion to her for her resilience, “How in the midst of difficulties he found a way to praise God and show us that we can also be saints,” Gonzalez said.
Rosa María Rivas, who was holding a small image of José Gregorio Hernández, assured The National that the doctor has blessed his family with many miracles. “My grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers were from Trujillo and they took me to Isnotú a lot to worship it. José Gregorio and Carmen Rendiles for Venezuela and the entire world”he said with emotion.
The woman trusts that The canonization will help the unity of Venezuelans and highlighted the nobility of the country. “We are a noble country, we are religious families, we live in a country as beautiful as Venezuela, where there are all religions, especially Catholicism,” he added.
The contrast in popularity between José Gregorio Hernández and mother Carmen Rendiles is evident, although it could be explained by several factors. Among them, the time that each case took in process: Hernández’s began almost 80 years ago, while that of the nun began 30 years ago. This difference has allowed the figure of the doctor of the poor to have a prolonged and visible presence in popular devotion.
During the ceremony in the Vatican, the emotion of the faithful upon hearing the names of both saints reflected that reality. However, this would also reveal something positive: that Venezuelans They are just beginning to discover the work, generosity and humility of Mother Carmen Rendiles.
The canonization of Carmen Rendiles was based on two miracles attributed to her intercession. The first occurred in 2003 when the surgeon Trinette Durán suffered an electric shock during an operation in Caracas, which paralyzed her right arm. And, after asking his mother for recovery, he experienced an inexplicable recovery. This led to his beatification in 2018.
The second miracle, which occurred in 2015, involved a young woman diagnosed with idiopathic triventricular hydrocephalus that left her in a vegetative state. After touching a painting of his mother, one day he woke up inexplicably and without any after-effects.
Nelson Alemán, for his part, told this editorial team that he has not received a favor from the saints, but affirmed that both Hernández and Rendiles are symbols of Christianity and faith rooted in Venezuelan culture and society.
“I am here because, like all Venezuelans, I feel joy because it is a very important day, where we ingratiate ourselves with the sanctification of our mother Carmen Rendiles and José Gregorio Hernández. “What we are expressing here, I believe, is what the vast majority of the Venezuelan people express,” declared.
The elevation to the altars of these two Venezuelans, Alemán considers, It will help Venezuela “get ahead” with optimism and hope.
In La Candelaria, the transmission of VTV was repeated frequently and the images of the meeting between Pope Francis and Nicolás Maduro were shown over and over again on the screens when In 2013, the Chavista leader gave him an image of José Gregorio Hernández. By the main entrance to the square, that same photo was framed in acrylic. Anyone who did not know the story could easily think that the canonization of the doctor of the poor was due to the management of Maduro himself.
Devotion in La Pastora
In La Pastora, the parish where Hernández lived from his adolescence until the day of the accident that cost him his life, The day was strongly marked by the partisanship of the activities with the broadcast on a giant screen of the state channel VTVin which Nicolás Maduro and senior officials of his regime were repeatedly highlighted, such as Carmen Meléndez, mayor of Caracas, and Diosdado Cabello, Minister of the Interior and Justice.
In the center of the square, a huge Christmas tree It broke with the spiritual meaning of the tribute to José Gregorio Hernández and mother Carmen Rendiles. Around them, children ran and played, while families rested on the benches and on the stairs or sat waiting for the hours to pass until the long-awaited canonization of their blesseds.
Inside the La Divina Pastora church, also reconditioned for this holiday, the panorama was calmer: it gathered faithful who listened attentively to the mass and enjoyed the songs of parish groups. However, it was not crowded.
A few blocks away, the atmosphere changed completely as people approached the corner of Amadores, where José Gregorio Hernández was run over. A significant offering could be expected for what this site represents in the doctor’s history, but the place looked sober: the mural dedicated to the saint remained illuminated only by a small light bulb and a few candles arranged at his feet along with some bouquets of flowers.
And as we moved towards the modern José Gregorio Hernández House Museum, the tension grew. Nearby, numerous officials from the Bolivarian National Police and the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence were monitoring the area. Some had their faces covered and carried long weapons, a few kept in rigid holsters. It seemed that every person who approached was watched carefully, as if any approach required notification.
A vigil was held in the house museum. A small group of faithful prayed in silence in the midst of a tense calm. There were also men dressed completely in black – attentive to any movement: who arrived and where they were going – and everything seemed to indicate that They were escorts or armed groups waiting for the arrival of someone “important.” The solemnity that should have reigned at the site was overshadowed by control and surveillance.
Towards the other end, along Baralt Avenue, the presence of security forces was more noticeable. For that access A few vehicles arrived from which people who, due to the protocol deployed, seemed to be high-ranking government officials, got out. It was there where, shortly before the mass celebrated in the Vatican, they entered Nicolas Maduro and his son Nicolás Maduro Guerra, as well as Delcy Rodriguezvice president, and Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, and others.
