HOLY SATURDAY
| Seraphic Brotherhood and Confraternity of Penitents of the Sacred Shroud of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mary Most Holy of Charity and Our Lady Queen of Angels. |
Historical Background
The association was founded under the guidance of five senior officers from different brotherhoods in Jerez, with the aim of fostering both private and public devotion to Christ and the Virgin Mary. Over time, it developed into a penitential brotherhood closely associated with the Capuchin community and with the mystery of the Sacred Shroud.
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 Convent Church of the Capuchin Fathers, at Calle Sevilla, 53, 11402 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
Nuestro Padre Jesús en su Sagrada Mortaja (Our Father Jesus in His Sacred Shroud) was created by Miguel Bejarano and completed and blessed in 2001. Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles (Our Lady Queen of Angels) is an anonymous 19th-century sculpture traditionally attributed to Juan de Astorga. It was restored in the 1980s by Juan Ventura.
The brotherhood’s full official name is “Seráfica Hermandad y Cofradía de Nazarenos de la Sagrada Mortaja de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, María Santísima de la Caridad y Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles”. 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 evokes the preparation of Christ’s body for burial following His descent from the Cross. The Marian images add the sorrowful, maternal and devotional dimensions associated with their respective titles, while the brotherhood’s Capuchin and Franciscan heritage 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: Convent Church of the Capuchin Fathers, at Calle Sevilla, 53, 11402 Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz)
Pictures / more info (Spanish)
