Faced with the chronic drought that is hitting the Pyrénées-Orientales, the Catalans no longer know where to turn. Well, not exactly. Saturday March 18, the relics of Saint-Gaudérique, the patron saint of farmers, will be carried in procession to Perpignan. A first for 150 years and the hope of a miracle and… of finally making it rain!
Indispensable to agriculture in the Pyrénées-Orientales, the Vinça dam currently has an exceptionally low water level. Discovering it like this, by chance, a month ago, Georges Puig, winegrower in Passa felt an immediate anguish.
When I saw it, I was very surprised. I thought to myself, this is amazing. If it does not rain soon, agriculture will not have water for this summer. It’s serious !
Georges Puig, Catalan farmer.
The Pyrénées-Orientales have been on heightened drought alert for weeks. A historic and worrying situation, unheard of since the start of monitoring by Météo-France, which dates back to 1959.
It fell less than 130mm of water, these last six months, in Perpignan and in the plain of Roussillon.
A practicing Catholic, Georges Puig then went to the cathedral of Perpignan to pray to Saint-Gaudérique, a peasant from the 9th century, who had become the patron saint of Catalan farmers. For centuries, these relics, a reliquary bust and bones, were carried down to the river to bring down the rain.
“Between the 11th and 19th centuries, processions multiplied. At least 800 took place at the time of the Revolution. Then the tradition was lost” explains Abbé Christophe Lefèvre, vicar of the Saint-Jean Cathedral in Perpignan.
For the first time in 150 years, the relics of Saint-Gaudérique will be transported on Saturday afternoon to the bed of the Têt river. A return to religion which also perhaps signals a return to a certain humility of man in the face of climatic disturbances.
This request from farmers, to take out the Saint-Gaudérique relic box, to ask for water, shows a return to nature and a respect for nature and not an exploitation of nature.
Jean-Luc Antoniazzi, historian.
Will the heavens be sensitive to the prayers and procession of farmers and Catalans?
Meteo France announces rain for Saturday. Not much but enough maybe to keep some mystery.
Written with Philippe Georget.