Holy statue to be paraded in Barcelona for first time in 80 years in prayers for rain

A holy statue is to be taken on procession through Barcelona's Gothic Quarter on March 9 for the first time in nearly 80 years. 

The reason is to ask for intercession from above, literally. With Catalonia currently in the middle of a drought emergency, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Pi hope that prayers to the Holy Christ of the Blood relic can deliver rain. 

The procession will be the culmination of a novena – nine days of prayer – that began on Friday, as reported by Betevé and confirmed to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) by Jordi Sacases from the Archconfraternity of the Most Precious Blood. 

The last time the statue of the Holy Christ of the Blood was removed from the church for exceptional reasons like this was in 1948. 

Sacases said the measure "historically has worked," during droughts in the city since the 16th century, when the confraternity was created. 

The event is open to all, because, Sacases says, "the rain is a challenge for us all." 

"Christians must intervene with their weapon, which is prayer."