Drought-stricken Spanish village seeks divine help with rain

With drought decimating crops in Catalonia, Spain, one small village is fighting back — with prayer.

Farmers in mountainous L’Espunyola are seeking divine intervention in hopes that crop-saving rain will come within the next two weeks. If it doesn’t, said Josep Altarriba, his entire harvest could be ruined.

He and about 250 fellow villagers on Sunday took part in a special Mass and procession to entreat Our Lady of the Torrents for an assist. The Lady is a locally venerated virgin associated with rain, and Spain is facing an unprecedented drought.

Worshippers took her effigy from its perch at the local church and paraded around the village, with the bishop and parishioners walking solemnly behind. It was her first time out since 2008.

“It’s not a magic act, it is an act of trust,” said Bishop Francesc Conesa told The Associated Press.

The drought has affected olive trees throughout Spain, and last fall’s harvest was half the previous winter’s haul. Last year was Spain’s sixth driest ever, and its hottest since the first records were logged in 1961.

Three years of extremely high temperatures and equally low rainfall have tipped the entire country into long-term drought.

The drought is also depleting reservoirs, especially in the northeastern part of the country, where Catalonia is located, and the three reservoirs in L’Espunyola’s area are at less than a third of capacity.

With News Wire Services