Imagine a time in the year 43 of the last century when a severe drought plagued the lands of Granada. One of the affected towns was Ugíjar, an important center in the Alpujarra region. It was here that a young man named Fernando Rielo, who would later become the founder of the ideate missionaries, worked as the head of the Postal Service overseeing numerous hamlets. The locals held him in high regard, witnessing his daily walks from the hermitage of San Antón to the town center where he found solace in his meditations and conversations with God.
Recognizing Rielo’s religious fervor, the parish priest agreed to his proposal to bring out the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in a procession to pray for rain. Despite the skepticism of the townspeople, they joined the procession with a glimmer of hope. Rielo, however, believed wholeheartedly in the power of their prayers. He even carried an umbrella, the only one to do so, as a symbol of his unwavering faith.
As the procession commenced, the skies suddenly opened up, and a downpour ensued, forcing the participants to seek shelter for the Sacred Heart. Rielo’s faith had been rewarded, and the miraculous event became the talk of the town. He became known as “the man with the umbrella,” a fond nickname that immortalized the Founder of the Idente missionaries.
The story of this remarkable event reached the ears of Don Francisco Puertas, the parish priest of the church of San Agustín in Granada, who used it as an example of true faith. This anecdote was later passed on to the canon of the cathedral of Granada, Don Rafael Pérez Bujaldón, who documented it in 2007 as a testament to Rielo’s unwavering belief. This extraordinary display of faith by Fernando Rielo, whose centenary of birth was celebrated in 2023, continues to inspire generations.
