This is the Competa church we attended.  "The parish church was built on May 25, 1505 by the Royal Decree of Isabella the Catholic.  It is one of the most emblematic buildings of Competa."  This was built the same year as St. Sebastian, a church I mentioned in an earlier post.

The outside of Our Lady of the Assumption

Nothing is known about St. Sebastian's youth other than the fact he may have come from southern France and he was educated in Milan. He joined the Roman Army in 283 AD, ostensibly to be of service to other Christians who were being persecuted by the Romans. St. Sebastian distinguished himself and for his excellent service, he was promoted to serve in the Praetorian Guard to protect Emperor Diocletian.

While serving as a Praetorian Guard, Marcus and Marcellian, twin brothers, were imprisoned for refusing to make public sacrifices to the Roman gods. The brothers were deacons of the Christian Church. During their imprisonment, their parents visited them to implore them to renounce Christianity. However, St. Sebastian convinced both parents to convert to Christianity. St. Sebastian also converted several other prominent individuals, including the local prefect.

This led to his discovery and he was reported as a Christian to Emperor Diocletian in 286. The Emperor, who was already infamous for ordering the deaths of hundreds of Christians, scolded Sebastian and ordered him to be killed by having him tied to a stake on a training field and used as target practice.

Archers riddled his body with arrows, his body was described as, "full of arrows as an urchin." Believed to be dead, the archers left his body for retrieval and burial. He was recovered by Irene of Rome, whose Christian husband was a servant to Diocletian and also martyred. Irene discovered that Sebastian was still living and she hid him and nursed him back to health.  Once well, Sebastian went in search of Diocletian to surprise him. He managed to catch Diocletian by a stairwell and proceeded to criticize him loudly and publically for his persecution of the Christians. Diocletian, surprised that Sebastian was still alive, was immediately taken aback, but recovered his composure. This time, he would not permit Sebastian to escape with his life. He ordered his former guard to be beaten to death with clubs, then thrown into the sewers.

His body was recovered by a Christian woman, named Lucina, and she secretly buried him in the catacombs beneath Rome.

Competa claims St. Sebastian as their patron saint.

The tabernacle.

My observation of the Spanish Catholic Church's art and statuary is a focus on the suffering that Christ endured to redeem us from sin. 

Christ with his Blessed Mother and Mary Magdalene

Pieta, meaning "pity" in Italian.  A pieta is any sculpture of the Virgin holding the dead body of Christ.

Christ carrying the cross to Calvary.

Mary, Mother of God

The sanctuary of Our Lady of the Assumption.  I never did find out who the guy in the bottom left corner is.  Maybe the artist who painted the mural?



There were many more statues and artwork than I have posted.  When a church is 513 years old, the early congregations were primarily illiterate and the art work served as teaching tools.  Also, a 513 year old history tends to accumulate many treasures.


The Mass is in Spanish, but the Order of the Mass is the same.  So, although we couldn't understand the words, we knew when to respond in English.  And of course, receiving the Body of Christ in the Eucharist is delicious in any language!
Katie