Jessi, from migrant to costalera

After ten years of marriage and, given the impossibility of having a family, Manolo and Juanita felt able to welcome into their home anyone who might need a family where they could live and prosper with dignity. It was through Caritas that, one fine day, they received the long-awaited news. A young migrant girl could be the family’s new companion.

The girl, Jessi, twelve years old, had arrived in one of the many small boats that reached the Andalusian coast. After she had been in the shelter for a year, and due to the lack of means for her extradition, it was decided to find a foster family for her. The Caritas list included the names of Manolo and Juanita as being willing to receive some of these people.

The girl came from Morocco. During his year at the Center, he had learned Spanish. Although not perfectly fluent, he could understand what was being said and express himself with some ease. He had no document proving his religious status. For this reason, from the moment she arrived at Manolo’s home, the husband and wife were determined to educate her in the Christian faith.

They attended the parish assiduously to all religious ceremonies. They spoke with the parish priest about the possibility of receiving baptism. When the girl turned seventeen, she received the sacrament of baptism in the cathedral, on Easter night, from the Bishop. Manolo and Juanita were his godparents. She was given the name Maria Jessi. This is what it will be called in the future. At the age of majority, Maria Jessi could make her own decisions. One Sunday, after participating in the Eucharist, he wanted to stay in the church until lunchtime. Manolo and Juanita were very pleased with the girl’s spontaneous decision.

-Don’t stop too long. You know we are waiting for you.

-I’ll be there in time; don’t worry.

After having a drink with friends, the couple headed back to the house. As they did every day, they set the table and prepared the food as they did every day. They used to sit at the table around two o’clock in the afternoon. It wasn’t half past one o’clock when Jessi arrived at the house on time. He asked if he could help in any way. But he saw that everything was already in place.

-How did it go? -Juanita wanted to know.

-Very well,” she answered quickly. There was a few seconds of silence. Then, Jessi continued talking. – I wanted to talk to Father Cosimo; that is why I asked your permission to meet at the church.

-So, what’s up? -asked Manolo.

A small tinge of blush colored the young woman’s cheeks.

-I wanted to ask your advice,” the girl continued, recovered.

The sound of the dining room clock striking two in the afternoon came to break the silence created after Jessi’s words.

They sat down at the table. The blessing was given, as every day, by Manolo. The family conversion took place as it did every day at that time. But today the talk took an unexpected turn for the couple. The advice Jessi had asked Fr. Cosme for was the possibility of asking them to adopt her as a daughter. She wanted to go from foster to adopted. A deep look made the couple jump out of their chairs to melt in a long embrace with the young woman.

-If you wish, it will be for us a new blessing that the Lord grants us.

The situation was so beautiful that it could turn into a failure. Manolo and Juanita decided to take it easy. They would take a trip to Morocco in the company of Jessi to visit her family. It had been at least ten years since the girl had left and, according to her testimony, she had not heard from her family. They diligently prepared for the trip. When they arrived at the village, they found that Jessi’s parents had already died. His only brother had disappeared from the village and no one knew anything about him. The return to the mainland should not be delayed unnecessarily.

Now the adoption proceedings have begun. There were no complications. In less than fifteen days everything was resolved. Jessi continued her studies. He began to actively participate in the town’s activities. The Christian life of her adoptive parents also influenced her daughter’s life. Both Manolo and Juanita were members of one of the various Cofradias that enliven popular piety. That is why Jessi also felt called to participate in the world of the brotherhood. Since his arrival at the home of Manolo and Juanita, he was excited every Holy Week with the worship and processions of each Brotherhood.

In his time, costaleras were already beginning to be seen. A world unknown in previous years. Now of age and recognized as a daughter, she began to attend the meetings of the Confraternity in which her parents had some influence. The foreman of the Paso de Gloria had no difficulty in admitting her as one of the costaleras for that year’s departure. The enormous joy of being able to carry on their shoulders the image of Our Lady, made the devotion to the Mother increase day by day. His presence was noticeable in all the rehearsals that the Eldest Brother and the Capataz del Paso had organized. The enthusiasm with which everyone worked became more and more contagious as the day of the “departure” drew nearer.

That day, after the morning celebration of the Eucharist, Jessi was so happy that her parents noticed in her a new manifestation of the grace that the Lord had granted them in receiving her as a daughter.

The “estación de penitencia” ended without any incident. All of them experienced moments of deep gratitude and fraternal happiness.