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 Estimated reading time: 3 min. |
 M. Sola y S. Gaudio  Eduardo Epifanio |
The theme park lies 500 meters away from National Route 234 and it is one of the great Christian attractions in Junín de los Andes. |
The Via Christi is made up by a 2-kilometer circuit that covers 17 stations arranged in a circular fashion and containing the sculptures made by architect Alejandro Santana, who interprets the life of Jesus from a contemporary vision.
Dry squares with a 12-meter diameter represent the sun. The figures represent the Christian view of the world and also the Mapuche perspective, as both cultures are part of Patagonian history. |
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We felt deeply touched upon reaching the venue. There is no doubt that the Via Christi is an invitation to reflect on Christianity and the discourse of Jesus nowadays.
The first station is devoted to Jesus’ birth. The faces of the sculptures share features typical of the Mapuche, the Hispanic and the mixture of races. Alejandro Santana asserts that the key to the interpretation of the entire Via Christi lies there, “as it is at this point when He became a man and He did so within a certain culture. And if that has happened, it means that each culture may also reinterpret, describe and give a new shape to the mystery of His presence in order to get us closer to the mystery of our own reality”. |
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At the second station, the image of Jesus is surrounded by very important and emblematic characters for Argentina and the world: Saint Francis of Assisi, Gandhi, Father Carlos Mugica, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, little Laura Vicuña, to name a few. All and every one of them gave everything to their peers, fought for justice and against lie and discrimination.
Likewise, during the tour, we came across various Christian situations that do not cease to cause surprise. For instance, the parable of the prodigal son, the feeding of the five thousand, along with other miracles, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Each instance is linked to the past and the present, and everything is shown through a clearly regional look. |
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In fact, fragments of the lives of the blessed people born in Patagonia (Laura Vicuña and Ceferino Namuncurá) appear in reliefs at several points in the Vía Christi. They have a strong and well-deserved presence in the circuit.
The end of the tour is marked with a white cross made by the local denizens in 1950. To their feet, the system of symbols communicates the Bible’s “I am”: “the light”, “the truth”, “the life”, “the way”. |
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We found the Via Christi very moving. The sculptures made by this talented artist and architect let us reflect on and remember several passages and life experiences. We left the venue feeling complete and charged with hope. |
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Rates and fees must be requested from each operator.
Interpatagonia does not provide this kind of information. |
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Here are the most important aims of the creation of the Via Christi Walk:
1. Announce Jesus' good news.
2. Rescue the presence of Blessed Laura Vicuña, former student at the María Auxiliadora, who lived and died in the district, and of Ceferino Namuncurá, also former Salesian student from these lands whose family still lives in the outskirts, as models for adolescents, youths and adults who wish to follow Jesus Christ.
3. Revaluate Latin American, Argentinian history and the history of Neuquén; especially the crossbreeding produced by the encounter of various cultural sources.
4. Incorporate the gospel to the various local cultures, especially the Mapuche culture.
5. Strengthen the encounter of people, as Junín de los Andes has always been a place of encounters for original communities. At present, 14 Mapuche communities reside here.
6. Create new spaces for the people to encounter the extraordinary magnificence of nature in the lakes, the Lanín Volcano (sacred place), the forests, the flora and fauna.
7. Foster religious tourism.
Via Christi Walk Group |
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