Benidorm begins the countdown to Easter with the proclamation and the unveiling of the poster, designed by Carmen Alvado

Benidorm kicked off the pre-Easter events this evening with the traditional proclamation, delivered by the parish priest of Sant Jaume Church, Juan Antonio González. The event was held in the parish of San Jaime y Santa Ana, which was full for the occasion.

The event was attended by the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez; the Councilor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros; members of the local council, church authorities, members of Benidorm's six brotherhoods and fraternities; and the president of the Festes Majors Patronals, Susana Martínez, in addition to numerous faithful.

The event, organized by the Brotherhood of Our Father Jesus of Nazareth, and chaired by María Dolores Cano, began as is traditional with the unveiling of the poster, the work of Benidorm-born artist Carmen Alvado, who began as a self-taught artist and later perfected her technique in various academies.

Alvado stated that it is "an honour and satisfaction" to participate in Holy Week in Benidorm, "my town." Regarding the poster, he said he was inspired "by Jesus of Nazareth, with his expression of sadness and sacrifice, a figure that invites reflection. Behind him, the Nazarenes appear in procession, and in the background, the silhouette of Benidorm, seen from the Castell." The poster is characterized "by its impressionistic approach, light, colour, and spontaneous, loose brushstrokes," which, in his opinion, is "a faithful reflection of Holy Week in Benidorm." After unveiling the poster, the president of the organizing brotherhood presented him with a bouquet.

Afterwards, parish priest Juan Antonio González gave the Holy Week proclamation. First, he thanked the former presidents and those who have since ceased to be presidents, and also María Dolores Cano for proposing him. He also praised the efforts of all the brotherhoods to carry out their processions in Benidorm, accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate their Holy Week activities.

“Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and ends better with the Resurrection. To speak of Holy Week is to speak of life itself because, in the interlude between that birth and the subsequent passage to eternal life, we must go through the days of Good Friday, days of roses and passion, days of feeling wounded in the soul and heart. It is life itself. We will have bad days and good days, but God will be there in all of them,” he noted.

Juan Antonio González spoke “of God's love for humanity because He cares for us and loves us” and summed up that “all the theology books ever written are summarized in that phrase: God loves us.” The parish priest of San Jaime encouraged us to "not forget that this tradition should move us to be better people and Christians" and to remember that the scenes from the processions "should help us make Christ's feelings our own." He also once again recognized the work of those involved in the brotherhoods "because I know how much it costs to prepare everything, even though in Benidorm there is a desire to organize and have an active Holy Week." After highlighting Benidorm's charitable nature, he advocated for "having a church that is close to the problems of the people."

At the end of the proclamation, "La Saeta" and Schubert's "Ave Maria" were performed by Rafael Domenech and Alberto Inés. Afterwards, Mayor Toni Pérez took the floor to affirm that the artist Carmen Alvado "has perfectly portrayed the Benidorm sunset" and recalled that "700 years ago, Christian Benidorm was founded. And today, that image reflects a consolidated city."

The mayor described the choice of the poster artist and the town crier as "extraordinary" and, regarding Holy Week, noted that "the important thing is to always feel accompanied, to give thanks, and to live religiously." Pérez stated that "Benidorm is capable of retreating to experience the happiest moments and the less so," adding that this is possible "because living together is worth it." He predicted that "we will experience an intense Holy Week" and encouraged everyone to "welcome everyone who comes with a smile."

The event was closed by the vicar general for the area, Juan Bautista Samper Sellés, who also wished everyone present a happy Holy Week.