34 Years of Service to the Virgin of Candelaria: The Story of a Florist from Tenerife

34 years ago, a simple call from Father Jesús Mendoza changed the life of Jaime Estévez. At the time, he was working as a waiter in Santa Ana, and the priest from the Basilica of Candelaria asked him for help – to "dress the Virgin." And for 34 years now, Jaime has been doing this work with great "responsibility, dedication, and, above all, respect."

He combines this volunteer work with his job as a florist and helps many churches on the island. But, as Jaime says, "The Patroness is something special." And his mother looks at him with pride in her eyes.

Now, the main thing is to prepare the statue and the throne for the pilgrimage to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which will take place this Saturday, October 11. Jaime has dedicated a lot of time to this, even this Tuesday night, he finished decorating the Virgin of Candelaria around two in the morning.

But he doesn't look tired at all. In his voice, you can hear the enthusiasm for this "work" and, above all, faith in the Virgin Mary. His love for the Patroness of the Canary Islands began in childhood when he lived with his grandmother. "She was very religious and went to church every Sunday," Jaime recalls, but adds that "faith cannot be imposed, it must be in the heart."

"At first, my hands were shaking," the florist admits, but over time he learned to control himself. "Now I do it with the same respect and care, but with confidence," he says.

The main thing is that "she always looks impeccable," not only during services in the Basilica but also at important events such as pilgrimages.

Jaime has many memories associated with the Virgin, because "every moment next to her is special." But not all of them are pleasant. During one of the statue's visits to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, an unpleasant incident occurred.

"I already thought the Virgin would fall when we were climbing onto the stage on the Anaga Avenue. And then it started to rain, and everyone ran away," Jaime says. He was most worried that "Morenita" (as the Virgin is affectionately called) would get wet. "I don't know how I climbed up so quickly, but we managed to cover her, and only the cloak got a little wet," he recalls.

The work of a servant is not only to dress the statue. He prepares cloaks, decorations, the throne – "everything to make her look perfect," Jaime says. But not everything always goes smoothly, and you can often hear criticism, especially about the cloaks.

The Virgin of Candelaria has a little more than 20 cloaks, but some can no longer be used. "We have about 15 left," explains Jaime, who sewed several of them himself. And he adds that "the choice of cloak is usually agreed upon with the Dominicans," the religious order responsible for the Basilica.

The Virgin's collection includes cloaks up to three meters long, but newer cloaks are sewn according to the 2.40-meter pattern. This time, a green cloak with gold embroidery was chosen. It is in this cloak that the Virgin will leave her "home" this Saturday, and this is no coincidence.

In 2025, the church will celebrate the year of hope, and this influenced the choice of all the elements of this pilgrimage.

Jaime says that "it's not just the cloak that's important." The symbol of hope is the anchor, which was attached to the brocade costume of the Virgin of Candelaria. "This is the anchor of Santa Ana, which she borrowed from her friend," he notes.

"We didn't want to make her too pompous, because she is going as a pilgrim," says Jaime, adding that all the decorations will be made of silver. Among them are medals from various organizations: the Cabildo of Tenerife medal "the highest, because it is the most important," the Santa Cruz de Tenerife medal, which the Child also wears, and the medal of the Mayor of Candelaria, which she wears on her belt.

Attention is paid to every detail, considering the symbolism of each act. Therefore, a special outfit has already been prepared for the visit to the Tenerife II prison. "She will be in a cloak of mourning, which is shorter, and with a rosary of repentance, made by Rosarios Artesanos from Cadiz," says Jaime.

"Although the Virgin is glorious, this time she is going to a place of pain and does not show signs of power, but signs of love that forgives everything, love for her son," the servant concludes.