CHURCH OF SAINT SEBASTIÁN (REINOSA)

In the heart of Reinosa stands the parish church of Saint Sebastian. Throughout the centuries it has been visited by their parishioners and by countless travellers that have visited the city of Reinosa to search moments of celebration, reflection and prayer.

We welcome you and invite you to visit this magnificent temple, the most important example of architecture baroque in the region of Campoo and one of the further featured in this style of all Cantabria.

Before entering the church, admire the beautiful main façade. It is a magnificent example of Baroque architecture. It features a semicircular arch supported by columns, and above it, a large triumphal arch crowned by the royal coat of arms and a carving of Saint Sebastian, patron saint of Reinosa.

The current church was built of ashlar masonry. It is said that the stone used in its construction came from the ruins of the nearby Roman villa of Julióbriga, although there is no documentary evidence to confirm this. It was erected between the 16th and 18th centuries, possibly on the remains of the old Romanesque chapel. The central section appears to date from this period. Between 1754 and 1774, the tower, façade, and dome were completed, as indicated by the inscription engraved on the façade.

“Since ancient times, this temple consecrated to Saint Sebastian has been a spiritual reference point for the residents of Reinosa, the sustenance of their faith and the sublimation of their joys and sorrows”

Let us cross the threshold that leads into the sacred space. As you can see, the interior of the church is solemn and spacious, divided into three naves, the central one being taller than the side aisles. They are finished with ribbed vaults and divided by simple columns into five sections.

We are now at the rear of the church where, opposite the west entrance and separated from the rest of the church by a simple grille, is the baptistery. Here, a simple, cup-shaped baptismal font has been used for generations by the people of Reinosa to receive baptism. This sacrament is the foundation of all Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the entrance to the other sacraments. Through the baptism received here, we are freed from sin to become members of Christ and incorporated into his Church.

“I am telling you the truth,that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit”

Saint John 3, 5

Let us begin our visit by heading to the Gospel nave, located on the left. After passing the entrance to the parish museum, we notice the striking altarpiece of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whose delicately crafted image presides over the ensemble. Mary presents her Son as Saviour and offers us his scapular, promising protection to those who wear it with devotion. Above, we see the canvas depicting the souls in purgatory, their gaze raised to the Virgin Mary in supplication. Positioned at the centre of the composition, she gazes upon them with tenderness and assists the purified souls in their ascent to Heaven.

Next, we find the altarpiece dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Christ displays his burning heart, an invitation to enter into the great mystery of his infinite love for each of us. He is accompanied by the figures of the evangelists Saint Luke  and Saint John, while in the upper section, we can see the carving of Saint Anne with her daughter, the Virgin Mary as a child.

The effigy of Our Lady of Sorrows occupies the adjacent single-tiered altarpiece. The Mother of the Lord suffers before the Passion and Death of her son. At her feet, a glass urn houses the imposing effigy of the Recumbent Christ. The ensemble is flanked by the simple images of the Trinitarian monk Saint Simon de Rojas, a great devotee of the Virgin, and Saint Teresa of Jesus, Doctor of the Church and reformer of the Carmelite Order.

After this tour of the Gospel aisle and discovering figures you may not have recognized, we arrive at the apse of the church. Here are three altarpieces of great artistic quality and similar design, whose rich gilding is attributed to gold donated by Juan Francisco Güemes, a native of Reinosa, the First Count of Revillagigedo, and Viceroy of New Spain. He likely also brought the delicate painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe that hangs above the door leading to the sacristy.

At the head of this left aisle is the altarpiece of the Holy Christ, whose effigy occupies the central niche, and below it, the carving of Jesus of Nazareth, both against a crimson background. To its sides are the images of Saint Stephen, the parish’s first patron saint and the first martyr to shed his blood for Christ, and Saint Mary Magdalene, an icon of hope, as she was the first person to see the Risen Christ.

“Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things”

Saint Matthew 6, 33

We arrived at the main altar located at the head of the church. As is customary in Christian churches, it faces east, because the Saviour was born in the East, and it is also the direction from which the sun, symbol of Christ, rises each day to illuminate us. Therefore, every Christian church is a hymn to the coming of Christ into the world. In the apse of the church, beneath a magnificent blue dome decorated with scenes of the martyrdom of Reinosa’s patron saint, stands the main altarpiece dedicated to Saint Sebastian, the parish’s patron saint. It is an excellent work erected in the first half of the 18th century. It stands out for its homogeneity and blends harmoniously into the apse, being one of the principal Churrigueresque Baroque altarpieces in Cantabria. It is attributed to the masters of Siete Villas. Between Solomonic columns is the pierced figure of Saint Sebastian, flanked by sculptures of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul. The ensemble is crowned by the majestic figure of the Assumption of Mary. The image depicts the moment when the Virgin Mary, at the end of her earthly life, is assumed into Heaven, body and soul, while angels crown her Queen of Heaven. At the bottom of this magnificent altarpiece, between the images of two angels, the greatest treasure in the church—the Eucharistic Presence of the Lord in the Tabernacle—seems to go unnoticed. The living Christ has saved and redeemed us, freely given us eternal life, and is always by our side.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness”

Saint John 8, 12

Next, at the head of the right nave, we can admire the altarpiece dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. She is covered by a delicate blue mantle. Blue is Mary’s colour, a symbol of harmony, trust, royalty, and holiness. Accompanying this delicate image are the effigies of Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order, and Saint Anthony the Abbot, considered the founder of Christian monasticism, as well as the patron saint of animals. The ensemble is crowned by the carving of Saint Anthony of Padua, one of the few saints depicted with the Child Jesus in his arms. At the foot of the main nave is the Romantic organ, built in the 19th century, considered one of the most important in the region.

We are now concluding our visit to the church. You have surely noticed, distributed along the side walls, the reliefs corresponding to the fourteen Stations of the Via Crucis. Often, it seems that accompanying Jesus in his Passion and Death ends at the tomb, forgetting that the Cross is not a defeat, but the prelude to the ultimate triumph over death that will come with his Resurrection.  VIA LUCIS.

Likewise, on this right-hand wall, you will find another unique effigy of our patron saint, whose feast day is celebrated every January 20th. Saint Sebastian was a Roman martyr who was greatly revered in times past as the patron saint of the dying and protector against the plague. His feast day in Reinosa originated with the completion of this church in 1774. From that date to the present day, it continues to be celebrated with deep roots and fervour.

Our visit, where we have combined art and spirituality, comes to an end. We hope your visit has been pleasant. Before leaving the church, built by human hands for the greater glory of God, and continuing on your way, we invite you to take a few moments for reflection and prayer. You can sit in silence before the welcoming presence of the Virgin Mary, meditating on her life of devotion and gratitude, ask for the intercession of Saint Sebastian, or praise and accompany the Lord in His Eucharistic Presence in the Tabernacle. To help you in these moments, we offer some prayers. Likewise, thanks to the various links in this text, you can learn more about the lives of the Saints depicted in the altarpieces of the church.

“Our salvation is a gift from the blood of Christ, because everything is Grace, everything is a free gift from God and his unconditional love for us”

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Evangelio del día. EVANGELIZO / IBREVIARY

ROSARIO / VIA CRUCIS / VIA LUCIS

Oraciones para el Camino de Santiago

Diócesis de Santander

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