HOLY WEDNESDAY
| Brotherhood and Confraternity of Penitents of Our Father Jesus in His Sovereign Power before Caiaphas, Mary Most Holy of Mercy and Saint John the Evangelist. |
Historical Background
In February 1999, the statutes of the Parish Association of Our Father Jesus in His Sovereign Power were approved. On 9 June of that same year, Bishop Rafael Bellido Caro blessed the brotherhood’s principal image. From its beginnings in the La Granja neighbourhood, the brotherhood gradually consolidated its place within both parish life and Jerez’s brotherhood tradition.
These milestones illustrate how the brotherhood gradually developed its religious identity, processional traditions and artistic heritage. Its current canonical seat is the Parish Church of Santa María Madre de la Iglesia (Saint Mary, Mother of the Church), in the La Granja neighbourhood, at Plaza de Ubrique, 17, 11405 Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz). From there, it maintains devotion to its sacred images and its close ties with the local parish community.
Today, the brotherhood makes its annual penitential procession on Holy Wednesday, taking its place among the brotherhoods of Holy Week in Jerez. Its foundation, the blessing of sacred images, subsequent reorganisations, restorations and inaugural processions are all important milestones in understanding its present-day identity. Over time, the continuity of its religious worship and the preservation of its sacred images have helped strengthen the bonds between successive generations of brotherhood members.
Sacred Images and Patron Saints
Nuestro Padre Jesús en su Soberano Poder (Our Father Jesus in His Sovereign Power) was created in 1999 by the Seville-born sculptor Manuel Ramos Corona. It is a fully carved sculpture made from cedar wood. The brotherhood’s principal Marian image is María Santísima de las Mercedes (Mary Most Holy of Mercy), while Saint John the Evangelist completes its sacred dedications.
The brotherhood’s full official name is “Hermandad y Cofradía de Nazarenos de Nuestro Padre Jesús en su Soberano Poder ante Caifás, María Santísima de las Mercedes y San Juan Evangelista”. This title brings together the sacred dedications that shape the brotherhood’s religious worship and reflect the scene from the Passion of Christ, its Marian devotion and the presence of Saint John the Evangelist within its spiritual identity.
The principal sacred images form the devotional centre of the brotherhood. When they form part of a misterio, or sculptural group depicting a scene from the Passion, they are arranged to convey the corresponding Gospel episode through visual storytelling. In this case, the scene represents Christ appearing before Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest, following His arrest. The inclusion of Saint John the Evangelist and the brotherhood’s other sacred dedications completes its spiritual programme and broadens the religious meaning of the ensemble. Together, these sacred figures form a unified devotional and artistic identity, representing the brotherhood both in its regular religious worship and in its annual Holy Week procession.
General information
Home Church: Parish Church of Santa María Madre de la Iglesia (Saint Mary, Mother of the Church), in the La Granja neighbourhood, at Plaza de Ubrique, 17, 11405 Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz)
Pictures / more info (Spanish)
