Vilaflor Plans Major 400th Anniversary for First Canarian Saint

Vilaflor de Chasna is preparing a major celebration for the 400th anniversary of the birth of Pedro de San José de Bethencourt, known as Brother Pedro, the first saint from the Canary Islands. His 400th birthday falls on March 19, 2026.

Brother Pedro, who founded the Bethlemite Order, is highly respected in southern Tenerife and in Guatemala. He arrived in Guatemala at age 25 in 1651 and dedicated himself to helping the poorest people. His hometown of Vilaflor de Chasna will honor him with a wide range of social, cultural, and religious events. These activities will make Vilaflor de Chasna, and the entire southern region, a central point for Catholics across the Canary Islands.

Agustina Beltrán, the mayor of Vilaflor de Chasna, told this newspaper that the City Council is working with other public bodies to create a "special program of events that will match the importance of this historic anniversary." The goal is to pay tribute to a figure who "has deeply influenced Canarian identity and continues to inspire people worldwide." The mayor stressed that Brother Pedro's legacy goes beyond religion, being "strongly connected to the values of humility, charity, solidarity, and equality."

The celebrations will include an official visit to La Antigua, Guatemala, where Brother Pedro is buried in the church of San Francisco. Officials from all southern municipalities, the Island Council (Cabildo), and the Canary Islands Government will attend. In La Antigua, Brother Pedro founded the first mixed schools for indigenous people in the 16th century and some of the earliest hospitals for poor, recovering patients.

There are also plans to name Brother Pedro "Perpetual Mayor" of the region's 12 municipalities. Most have already agreed, with only Candelaria, Güímar, and Arafo yet to confirm, though they have shown interest. Another idea is to move Brother Pedro's statue to the Basilica of Candelaria for several days. This proposal comes from the organizing committee and has the Bishopric's support. It still needs approval from the Dominican religious order, who look after the statue of the Canary Islands' patron saint.

José Alberto Delgado, a member of the 400th anniversary committee, shared this information with DIARIO DE AVISOS. Other key members of the committee include Nelson Díaz Frías, a judge, writer, historian, and Vilaflor de Chasna's official chronicler, and artist Alejandro Tosco. Tosco created the statue of Brother Pedro unveiled in the town square a year ago and is currently Guatemala's honorary consul.

Furthermore, it has been suggested that all 12 southern municipalities name a street after Brother Pedro, though some already have. Plans also include creating a regional walking trail through several municipalities and a local one in Vilaflor de Chasna, both focusing on Brother Pedro's life. Additionally, there will be a series of sacred music concerts called "400 Years of Faith" and an exhibition about Brother Pedro that will travel across the entire southern region.

The event calendar also features the publication of a children's book to be distributed in the region's schools, historical and cultural conferences, and guided theatrical tours through Vilaflor de Chasna. A solemn mass, likely on April 25, will recreate the ceremonial handing over of the staff of office that took place on December 7, 1992. This time, it will include municipalities that weren't part of the original event.

Delgado highlighted Brother Pedro's deep devotion to the Virgin of Candelaria, which is why the visit to the Basilica of Candelaria, home of the Canary Islands' patron saint, is planned. Delgado noted, "He once wrote that if he ever returned to the island, he would make a pilgrimage to see her."

Brother Pedro was declared a saint on July 30, 2002, by Pope John Paul II at the Guatemala City racetrack, in front of 750,000 worshippers. A large delegation of 400 people from the Canary Islands attended the ceremony, led by the then Bishop of Tenerife, Felipe Fernández; the regional president, Román Rodríguez; and the president of the Island Council, Ricardo Melchior.

During the mass, co-celebrated by over 700 priests from Central America and the Canary Islands, the Pope officially declared him a saint, saying: "After long reflection, having many times invoked divine aid and heard the opinion of numerous brothers of the episcopate, we declare and define as a saint the blessed Brother Pedro de San José de Bethencourt and inscribe him in the catalog of saints."

It was 4:42 PM in the Canary Islands when the bells of the parish of San Pedro Apóstol in Vilaflor de Chasna began to ring, and soon after, bells in all churches across Tenerife joined in. The first Canarian saint had just been declared a saint.