During Holy Week, farmers, the Catholic Church and the Municipality of San José come together for the blessing of the harvest, an event that provides food to San José’s most vulnerable communities in a gesture filled with faith, hope, and collective support. The event has been organized jointly by market vendors, the Archdiocese of San José, and local authorities for the past 23 years.
Historically, this blessing ceremony took place in Central Park. However, starting last year, it has been held next to the Metropolitan Cathedral National Shrine. Local farmers began work as early as 1:00 a.m. to transport fruits such as bananas, oranges, apples, pears, tangerines, and other items for donation. The produce came from agricultural areas including Acosta, Escazú, Mora, and Cartago, among others, in a gesture of faith and solidarity.
Rather than simply fulfilling an obligation, the farmworkers took part in the event as part of a personal promise and a prayer, primarily to secure the resources needed to continue working the land. Monsignor Daniel Blanco, auxiliary bishop of San José, stated that the blessing of the harvest is a long-standing tradition celebrated every Holy Wednesday at the Metropolitan Cathedral.
He explained that the Catholic Church joins forces with the Municipality of San José and the capital’s markets, whose vendors donate products for social programs aimed at vulnerable populations. He noted that, following the blessing, the food is distributed to people living in poverty, the elderly, the homeless, and those living with HIV.
He added that the event is part of the solidarity initiatives promoted by the Church to address urgent needs in the capital’s downtown area. Blanco said the aid reaches centers such as Casa Hogar San José, Casa Nuestra Señora del Carmen, and facilities managed by the Social Ministry of parishes in the city center.
“Many of these people, due to their life circumstances, such as drug use and HIV, are also cared for at two shelters the Church operates here in San José. So, some of the aid that has been so generously given to us also goes there,” he noted. Roy Fallas, a representative of the Regional Farmers’ Fair Committee, has been an active member of the Catholic community for the past five years.
Fallas is remembered as the farmer who was arrested during the “March for Democracy” on November 11 outside the Presidential Office and who reported alleged abuse of authority by law enforcement. According to Fallas, these are “very difficult times for agriculture,” which is why he asked God for the strength to continue working the land.
“May we not depend on imports but instead achieve food sovereignty in our country. From this moment on, we express our gratitude to the many farmers who, even without seeing significant profits from their products, continue to work with effort and dedication to offer the best of themselves to our country,” Fallas stated in remarks to El Observador.
The vice president of the Escazú Cantonal Agricultural Center, Omar Cordero, also made a special appeal during the commemoration. According to Cordero, this effort is the culmination of a year-long process involving prior meetings with the Municipality of San José.
He acknowledged that last year they failed to reach agreements and the process became complicated; however, this year saw better communication and greater institutional support.
“It’s a way of showing our gratitude, a way of giving back a little of what the land has given us. What better day than today to offer our gifts so that those who truly need them can benefit,” Cordero said.
