HOLY SATURDAY
Brotherhood of the Most Holy Christ of Charity in His Carrying to the Tomb, the Sorrows and Tears of Mary Most Holy, Mother of God of Patronage and Saint Martha. |
Historical Background
The organising committee was established on 8 December 1958 at the initiative of the hospitality trade. Since then, the brotherhood has developed its identity around the mystery depicting the carrying of Christ to the tomb and around devotion to Saint Martha, traditionally regarded as a patron saint of hospitality workers.
The brotherhood’s subsequent development has been closely linked both to the consolidation of its religious worship and to the creation and preservation of the artistic and devotional heritage that defines it today. Its current canonical seat is the Chapel of the Santa Marta Brotherhood House, at Plaza San Mateo, 3, 11408 Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), from where it continues to play an active role in the religious life of the local community. The brotherhood makes its annual penitential procession on Holy Saturday, forming part of Jerez’s traditional Holy Week celebrations.
Its foundation and subsequent development, the blessing of new sacred images and successive restorations reflect different stages in an enduring tradition of devotion. Together, these milestones illustrate the brotherhood’s evolution from its origins to its present-day form, while preserving the sacred dedications that remain at the heart of its religious identity. This historical journey helps explain the distinctive character with which the brotherhood takes its place today within Holy Week in Jerez.
Sacred Images and Patron Saints
The Santísimo Cristo de la Caridad (Most Holy Christ of Charity) was created by Antonio Eslava Rubio and blessed in 1962. Madre de Dios del Patrocinio (Mother of God of Patronage) was created by Francisco Pinto Berraquero and blessed in 1959.
The brotherhood’s official title also includes Penas y Lágrimas de María Santísima (the Sorrows and Tears of Mary Most Holy) and Saint Martha. Its full official name is “Hermandad del Santísimo Cristo de la Caridad en su Traslado al Sepulcro, Penas y Lágrimas de María Santísima, Madre de Dios del Patrocinio y Santa Marta”. Its principal sacred images embody the brotherhood’s central devotions and provide the religious focus of both its regular worship and its public processions.
Where a misterio, or sculptural group depicting a scene from the Passion of Christ, is present, the image of Jesus is accompanied by other figures that bring the Gospel episode to life. In this case, the scene represents the carrying of Christ’s body to the tomb following His death on the Cross. The Marian images convey the sorrowful and maternal dimensions associated with the Passion, while the presence of Saint Martha reflects the brotherhood’s historic links with the hospitality trade and broadens the spiritual meaning of the ensemble. Together, these elements form a coherent devotional and artistic programme that gives the brotherhood a distinctive and immediately recognisable identity within Holy Week in Jerez.
General information
Home Church: Chapel of the Santa Marta Brotherhood House, at Plaza San Mateo, 3, 11408 Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz)
Pictures / more info (Spanish)
