The Municipality of Concordia, through the Undersecretariat of Education and Culture, carried out a significant ceremony at the Central Train Station, where the Blessing and Coronation of the image of Our Lady of Luján took place, within the framework of the restoration process of this emblematic heritage site of the city.
The religious celebration was presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Concordia, Monsignor Gustavo Gabriel Zurbriggen, who carried out the blessing and coronation of the image, accompanied by the Parish Priest of the San Antonio de Padua Cathedral, Father José Luis Bogado.
The event was led by the Municipal Vice President and President of the Deliberative Council, Lic. Magdalena Reta de Urquiza; the Secretary of Government, Luciano Dell´Olio; the Undersecretary of Education and Culture, Prof. Carlos Gatto; the Undersecretary of Social Development, Roberto Niez; the Undersecretary of Sports, Ivana Pérez; Councilwoman Eliana Lagraña; the Director of Culture, Daniel Bogado; the municipal head of the worship area, Andrea Casco; representatives of Security Forces and city institutions, along with residents who accompanied this moment of profound spiritual and community value.
Our Lady of Luján was declared Patroness of the Argentine People and, since 1948, Patroness of the National Railways, a designation that gave rise to the enthronement of her image in railway stations throughout the country. In Concordia, her presence at the Central Station is part of the collective memory and the railway identity of the city.
The ceremony held acquires a special meaning based on the history that precedes it. In 2015, the image of the Virgin of Luján located at the Station was vandalized. A year later, in 2016, a resident of Concordia, belonging to a family historically linked to the railway, recovered and safeguarded the image's crown. For years she kept it with deep respect, waiting for the right moment to return it.
That gesture of love and commitment was realized on November 28, within the framework of the anniversary of the city of Concordia, when the crown was returned to the Municipal Mayor Dr. Francisco Azcué.
The Blessing and Coronation celebrated now allowed for the renewal of the consecration of the image and symbolically returned the crown to the Virgin, as an act of reparation, memory, and shared faith.
In this regard, the Undersecretary of Education and Culture, Prof. Carlos Gatto, stated that “this ceremony has enormous value because it unites history, heritage, faith, and community. The return of the crown by a Concordia family is a gesture that challenges us and reminds us that taking care of what belongs to everyone is also a way of loving the city”.
Likewise, Gatto remarked that “the restoration of the Central Station is not just a building intervention, but a decision to recover meanings, memories, and symbols that are part of our identity. That the Virgin is crowned again in this space that is reborn today is deeply significant”.
The Municipality of Concordia especially thanks the family that safeguarded the crown during all these years, as well as the residents who participated in the ceremony, reaffirming that the recovery of material and symbolic heritage is built collectively, with commitment, respect, and love for our common history.
The religious celebration was presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese of Concordia, Monsignor Gustavo Gabriel Zurbriggen, who carried out the blessing and coronation of the image, accompanied by the Parish Priest of the San Antonio de Padua Cathedral, Father José Luis Bogado.
The event was led by the Municipal Vice President and President of the Deliberative Council, Lic. Magdalena Reta de Urquiza; the Secretary of Government, Luciano Dell´Olio; the Undersecretary of Education and Culture, Prof. Carlos Gatto; the Undersecretary of Social Development, Roberto Niez; the Undersecretary of Sports, Ivana Pérez; Councilwoman Eliana Lagraña; the Director of Culture, Daniel Bogado; the municipal head of the worship area, Andrea Casco; representatives of Security Forces and city institutions, along with residents who accompanied this moment of profound spiritual and community value.
Our Lady of Luján was declared Patroness of the Argentine People and, since 1948, Patroness of the National Railways, a designation that gave rise to the enthronement of her image in railway stations throughout the country. In Concordia, her presence at the Central Station is part of the collective memory and the railway identity of the city.
The ceremony held acquires a special meaning based on the history that precedes it. In 2015, the image of the Virgin of Luján located at the Station was vandalized. A year later, in 2016, a resident of Concordia, belonging to a family historically linked to the railway, recovered and safeguarded the image's crown. For years she kept it with deep respect, waiting for the right moment to return it.
That gesture of love and commitment was realized on November 28, within the framework of the anniversary of the city of Concordia, when the crown was returned to the Municipal Mayor Dr. Francisco Azcué.
The Blessing and Coronation celebrated now allowed for the renewal of the consecration of the image and symbolically returned the crown to the Virgin, as an act of reparation, memory, and shared faith.
In this regard, the Undersecretary of Education and Culture, Prof. Carlos Gatto, stated that “this ceremony has enormous value because it unites history, heritage, faith, and community. The return of the crown by a Concordia family is a gesture that challenges us and reminds us that taking care of what belongs to everyone is also a way of loving the city”.
Likewise, Gatto remarked that “the restoration of the Central Station is not just a building intervention, but a decision to recover meanings, memories, and symbols that are part of our identity. That the Virgin is crowned again in this space that is reborn today is deeply significant”.
The Municipality of Concordia especially thanks the family that safeguarded the crown during all these years, as well as the residents who participated in the ceremony, reaffirming that the recovery of material and symbolic heritage is built collectively, with commitment, respect, and love for our common history.