The Monastery of La Canal is a place of encounter—with God and with the people who bring this place to life. From Merche, who is always there to help anyone with whatever they need, whenever they need it, to Gelo, who shares his boundless knowledge of God and sets an example of unwavering faith, right through to the cooks who, quietly and without seeking praise, never leave the kitchen until everyone else has eaten whenever they wish and are able to. At La Canal, they have a very distinctive way of living and celebrating Easter, deeply felt, characterised by devotion to others, and unique to each of the people who come there year after year to experience it – there must be a reason for that.
And the fact is, the most remarkable thing about the place is not its beautiful location in the Pasiego valleys or how intriguing its songs are, but the diverse people who gather there from all over Spain to experience Easter. Entire families with their children and teenagers, couples, young people – from nearby, from the centre of the mainland, the south and even the Balearic Islands – all of them make Easter unique. Everyone gets involved, helps out and shares stories of how La Canal has also been a place of personal encounter and connection with God in their lives, a time of change and growth; some even arrived when they were just a few months old and now have only a few more years to go before they’re adults. To experience Easter at the monastery of La Canal is to experience Easter as a family – the family they have formed there, who welcome you with open arms – and a service-oriented Easter, for, like a good family, just as in Nazareth, everyone contributes their hands and time for the sake of the whole, so that it may thrive year after year.
Víctor Fernández Blázquez
