Homenaje a las Mercedarias el día 20 en su despedida de Arrasate

The municipality of Arrasate will honor the Mercedarian sisters on September 20 to mark the end of their 134-year presence in the town. The tribute will take place at the San Juan Bautista parish, beginning with a Mass at 12:00 p.m. officiated by Mikel Aranguren, the vicar general of the Diocese of San Sebastián.

The ceremony will include a recognition event featuring speakers from the local town hall, the parish, the ISEA cooperative, the Iturbide residence, and Kristau Eskola. Organizers expect approximately 18 religious sisters to attend, including Julia Tajuelo, the general director of the Congregation, and several sisters who previously served as teachers or directors at the former La Merced school.

The four sisters currently living at the former La Merced school will leave the building at the end of this month. For over a century, the Congregation has worked in local classrooms, hospitals, and residences. Following the sisters' departure, the building is expected to be repurposed for an intergenerational housing project in the coming years.