An Art Fashion Aruba event held at the Lourdes Grotto last Wednesday has sparked concern among members of the public about maintaining respect at the sacred site.
Several weeks before the event, Art Fashion Aruba met with representatives of the Catholic Church to request permission to hold the activity at the Lourdes Grotto. According to the Church, the organizers said the event would focus on art, culture and folklore, as well as the spiritual connection between people and nature.
During the meeting, the organizers were reminded several times that the event should maintain appropriate standards of decency and respect for the site, where Holy Mass is regularly celebrated. The organizers agreed to this.
However, several hours before the event, images and videos raised concerns about whether some aspects of the activity were appropriate for the location. The Church contacted the organizers again and asked them to make every effort to ensure the sacred site was not disrespected.
The organizers explained that the event was intended to highlight the Lourdes Grotto as an important part of Aruba’s natural environment while emphasizing its sacred nature. They also said they had adapted song and poetry texts and would use clothing considered appropriate for a place of prayer.
Father Andres, Vicar of the Catholic Church of Aruba, acknowledged the efforts made by Art Fashion Aruba, including ensuring that participants’ clothing was, for the most part, as decent as possible, as well as cleaning and maintaining the site.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the Church should have monitored the preparations more closely.
“Our oversight was that we did not monitor and guide the organizers during their preparations, when there was still time to make corrections or request that the activity be moved to another location,” he said. “Without a doubt, what happened at the Lourdes Grotto is a lesson for everyone.”
The Church said it will be more cautious in the future and will use sacred objects exclusively for liturgical celebrations.
“The Church supports art and culture and is known for doing so around the world, but always with a spiritual focus,” Father Andres said.
He said the Church hopes Art Fashion Aruba will review the September 9 event with calm and wisdom and take steps to avoid situations that could hurt people’s feelings or negatively affect future events.
The Catholic Church thanked the public for the reactions it received, saying they reflect concerns about the spiritual well-being of the community. It encouraged people not to use the incident to condemn individuals or groups, but instead to learn from it and support one another.
Father Andres also apologized on behalf of the Church for its lack of caution and asked the public to pray for the Church and for those working to promote art and culture in Aruba.
