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WHO WE ARE

The Brotherhood of Our Lady of El Rocío of Brussels is an association of Catholic faithful founded at the Foyer Catholique Européen and officially recognized as such by the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels in 1996. Before the Belgian civil authorities, the Brotherhood is registered as a non-profit association (ASBL).

In 2000, the Brussels Brotherhood was recognized as an affiliated (Filial) Brotherhood by the Hermandad Matriz of Our Lady of El Rocío of Almonte, the principal (mother) Brotherhood among the 119 existing ones. The Brussels Brotherhood is the only affiliated Brotherhood located outside Spain.

The Brussels Brotherhood was founded by Spanish officials working in European institutions and NATO who were part of the Foyer Catholique Européen in Brussels. In its early days, the Brotherhood included members from around fifteen nationalities, and its first vice-president was a Belgian official well acquainted with the world of the Brotherhoods of the Virgin of El Rocío. Today, the majority of its approximately one hundred members are Spanish.

The two main objectives of the Brotherhood are to engage in charitable projects and to promote devotion to the Virgin of El Rocío throughout Europe. As an association of Catholic faithful based at the Foyer Catholique Européen, the Brotherhood also participates in the activities of the Foyer.
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MAIN ACTIVITIES DURING THE YEAR
1. Sabatinas – Saturday Masses:
The Sabatinas (Saturday Masses) are monthly gatherings normally held on the second Saturday of each month, except in July and August. The meetings begin with the recitation of the Rosary, followed by a sung Mass by the Brotherhood Choir and a charitable dinner. Most of the proceeds from these dinners are directed to the Brotherhood’s charitable works.

During the year, there are two special Sabatinas: the Misa de Romeros, marking the start of the Pentecost pilgrimage, and the Christmas Mass.

2. Charity Fund:The Brotherhood’s charity fund primarily supports initiatives in Brussels to help those most in need. The Brotherhood collaborates with the ASBL Les Samaritains at the Missionaries of Charity soup kitchen in Saint-Gilles, and with the parish of San Roque, under Father Hugo van Geel, which assists numerous refugees and homeless individuals.
In the past, the Brotherhood has also supported the Babelkot association, the activities of the Foro del Rocío, and even specific individuals and families. The Brotherhood contributes to the expenses of the Foyer Catholique Européen and participates in diocesan collections organized by the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels.

3. Pilgrimages:

Throughout the year, the Brotherhood undertakes the following pilgrimages:

Pilgrimage to Beauraing, the first stage of the European Camino of El Rocío, with Mass and procession at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Golden Heart

Pentecost pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of El Rocío in El Rocío (Huelva, Spain)

Extraordinary Pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of El Rocío

4. Brotherhood Gatherings:

The Brussels Brotherhood has participated in all Brotherhood Gatherings in central Spain, which bring together around twenty Brotherhoods once a year, usually in autumn. The gathering during the Year of Faith took place in Madrid, followed by Alcalá de Henares. The gathering during the Year of Mercy was held in Toledo. The 2017 Brotherhood Gathering was scheduled to take place in Brussels.
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EUROPEAN CAMINO OF EL ROCÍO
The European Camino of El Rocío is a pilgrimage route connecting Brussels with El Rocío, passing through major Marian sanctuaries in Belgium, France, and Spain. Created between 2000 and 2003, the route begins at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Koekelberg and passes through the sanctuaries of Beauraing, Chartres, Rocamadour, Lourdes, Zaragoza, Madrid, Andújar, and Seville, ending in El Rocío. Each of these sanctuaries constitutes a stage of the European Camino of El Rocío.
In 2007, a group of pilgrims from Huelva walked the 3,000 km route and, upon reaching Madrid, decided to include the sanctuaries of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of La Cinta, creating a variant of the original route. In 2009, the Sanctuary of La Cinta also became an official stage of the European Camino of El Rocío.
Following this first pilgrimage, other small groups of pilgrims have also completed the journey on foot between Brussels and El Rocío. In 2010, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the European Camino of El Rocío, the Brussels Brotherhood organized a pilgrimage on foot between Brussels and Beauraing.
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EL ROCÍO
El Rocío is a unique location, equidistant from three Andalusian capitals: Huelva, Seville, and Cádiz. This village, part of the municipality of Almonte (Huelva), hosts over one million people each year for one of the most important events in the Andalusian cultural and devotional calendar: the Romería del Rocío. It was Pope John Paul II himself who famously said: “May everyone become a rociero!”
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ORIGINS OF THE DEVOTION
The date of El Rocío varies each year as it coincides with Pentecost, the Catholic feast marking the end of the Easter season. It is usually celebrated in late May or early June.
The first reference to a Marian place of worship in El Rocío dates back to the first half of the 14th century, in Alfonso XI’s Libro de la Montería, which mentions the “Hermitage of Sancta María de las Rocinas.”
The Hermandad Matriz of Almonte was founded in 1648. In 1653, the Virgin of El Rocío was proclaimed patroness of the town of Almonte, and the name Virgen del Rocío gradually replaced the previous title, Santa María de las Rocinas.
It was during this period that the first affiliated Brotherhoods were established, including that of Villamanrique de la Condesa, followed by others in Pilas, La Palma del Condado, Moguer, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and Triana. Throughout the 20th century, this phenomenon expanded significantly, surpassing one hundred Brotherhoods.
These Brotherhoods make annual pilgrimages on foot, on horseback, or in wagons to the village, with the main event beginning on the Saturday before Pentecost.
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PENTECOST SUNDAY
The most important day of the pilgrimage is Pentecost Sunday, which in the Catholic calendar marks the culmination of Easter and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. In the morning, the traditional Pontifical Mass is celebrated on one of the large esplanades next to the sanctuary, attended by the main religious and civil authorities of southern Spain.
After this Mass, only a few hours remain until the departure of the Virgin. Sunday is a day of fellowship in the homes of the Brotherhoods, and all visitors are welcomed warmly by the rocieros.
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THE “SALTO DE LA REJA” OR DEPARTURE OF THE VIRGIN
On Pentecost Monday, at midnight, the recitation of the Holy Rosary begins with the simpecados parading before the sanctuary in reverse order of seniority. The last simpecado to arrive at the hermitage, as tradition dictates, is that of the Hermandad Matriz of Almonte, which enters the hermitage and proceeds to the presbytery, at which point the famous “Salto de la Reja” occurs.