With its almost 10.000 residents, Alfaro is one of the most important cities of La Rioja, in the north of Spain. It is nothing strange that this year 2011 it has been chosen as the seat of the exposition “La Rioja, tierra abierta”, which every year goes around the different most distinguished towns of La Rioja.
Undoubtedly, St. Ezequiel Moreno is the most universal alfareño. That is why he could not be absent in this convention in which his town folks present to the visitors their values and most important personages.
Theatrical itinerary
The organizers of the “La Rioja, tierra abierta”, made use of a formula that is becoming very popular, that is the theatrical itinerary. It refers to a monologue taken care of by a woman who tells the life of the Saint, describing his figure and the principal events of his life. It is centered above all in his human personality and in the episodes which are most related with Alfaro and La Rioja. The actress, who appears dressed according to the epoch, is Izaskun Fernández and the director must be one of the founders of Sapo Productions, Martin Nalda.
The whole scene takes place in a street, in front of the house of the Saint. Because it is relatively narrow there is a limited number of audience. From April 9, when the Coun-cillor of Tourism, Environmental Means and Political Territory of the autonomous Government of La Rioja, until the closing of the exposition on October 8, the presen-tation is scheduled every Saturday.
The success has surprised everyone. It is enough to say that the place is always full, and there are persons who cannot enter. The organizers are studying the possibility of pro-longing the show. And the audience are impressed with the figure of a Saint who in some occasions is not known to them. But even those who know him discover the depth of his human and religious labour.
This is testified by various groups of Augustinian Recollects who have come to the show: the group of novices from Monteagudo, headed their formators; or, in plenary, the capitulars delegates of the province of San José, gathered in San Millán de la Cogo-lla last July.
New plaque
Another initiative came out from the bosom of the confraternity of St. Ezequiel Moreno. The birth of the Saint on April 9 is always celebrated with special significance, which this year almost coincided with the inauguration of the exposition that took place just a day before, April 8.
To the alfareño devoted to their holy town mate there is a thorn fixed since 1992, when the bust of the holy Bishop was inaugurated in the central park of the city, just after he was canonized. It was the work of a sculptor from the area, Miguel Ángel Sáinz, and highly decorative as well as gracious. But it lacked a plaque to identify the person, and this was being noticed more as time went by. Now, after almost 20 years and when Alfaro was about to receive and avalanche of visitors, it was very possible that many would not know him. Due to this situation a memorial stone plaque was fabricated with the chronological dates of St. Ezequiel and has been discreetly located on the pedestal that supports the bust.