20 February 2026
Appointment of the Most Holy Christ of Humility and Patience as Patron of CF Intercity
Welcome to another FluentFutbol article! We hope that you have enjoyed our past articles with content provided by our partners. This week, we return to CF Intercity, one of our official partners, to explore the connection between a region’s football club and its local community. We will explore the historic moment of CF Intercity’s appointment of the club’s patron.
We thank CF Intercity for providing us with the below article which can be accessed via our link.
Spanish Article:
Link: https://cfintercity.com/nombramiento-del-santisimo-cristo-de-la-humildad-y-paciencia-como-patron-del-intercity-cf/
La tarde del 12 de septiembre de 2025 quedará grabada en la memoria de la provincia de Alicante como un momento histórico. Creemos que, por primera vez, un club deportivo de la provincia ha proclamado oficialmente a un Cristo cofradiero, un Cristo de Semana Santa, como su Patrón, y a la Virgen de las Lágrimas como Protectora de sus jugadores y familias.
El escenario elegido fue la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Gracia, sede canónica de la Hermandad del Santísimo Cristo del Hombre de Paciencia y Nuestra Señora de las Lágrimas. Allí, presidió y dio la bienvenida el párroco, don José María Fernández Corredor, quien destacó la importancia espiritual y comunitaria de este acto singular.
El Club de Fútbol Intercity y el CFI Alicante estuvieron presentes con toda su estructura: su presidente, Salvador Martí, la primera plantilla masculina y femenina, así como su cuerpo técnico y personal administrativo. Por parte de la Hermandad, intervino su Hermano Mayor, Jorge Sanz, quien estrenaba con este evento su mandato, en lo que fue también su primer acto oficial.
La celebración se desarrolló en el marco de una liturgia de la palabra en la que participaron tanto hermanos de la Hermandad como jugadores del club. Destacó la presencia de la capitana del equipo femenino Sofía Di Giovanni y los capitanes, Borja San Emeterio y Pol Roigé, que tuvieron un papel activo en la ceremonia.
Durante el acto se firmó un convenio de colaboración y hermanamiento entre la Hermandad y el Club de Fútbol Intercity. Este acuerdo establece que el Santísimo Cristo del Hombre de Paciencia será, desde ahora, el Patrón del club, mientras que Nuestra Señora de las Lágrimas será la Protectora de los jugadores y de sus familias. Asimismo, el club se compromete a iniciar cada temporada con una visita a su Patrón para pedir por la salud y el éxito de todos sus miembros, y, en caso de lograr títulos, victorias o ascensos, volver para ofrecerlos y agradecer los frutos recibidos.
Tras la firma, la Hermandad obsequió al club con una fotografía de gran formato del Cristo, destinada a su estadio, para que jugadores y afición tengan siempre presente a su Patrón. A continuación, la primera plantilla masculina y femenina, junto al CFI Alicante, realizaron una emotiva ofrenda floral ante los titulares de la Hermandad y, de manera simbólica, entregaron una camiseta oficial del equipo. La prenda, con el dorsal y el nombre de “Humildad y Paciencia” en la espalda, fue depositada como signo de esfuerzo, trabajo y fe compartida.
El acto concluyó con una gran foto de familia que reunió a la Hermandad y al Club de Fútbol Intercity, inmortalizando un momento que marca un antes y un después en la historia del deporte y de la religiosidad popular en Alicante.
Con este hermanamiento, Hermandad y Club sellan un vínculo que une fe, deporte, familia y comunidad bajo la protección del Santísimo Cristo del Hombre de Paciencia, Patrón del Intercity, y de Nuestra Señora de las Lágrimas, Protectora de todos.
Reference Translation:
The afternoon of September 12 2025 will be remembered in the province of Alicante as a historic moment. We believe that, for the first time, a sports club from the province has officially proclaimed a Holy Week Christ figure as its Patron, and the Virgin of Tears as Protectress of its players and their families.
The chosen setting was the Parish of Our Lady of Grace, the canonical seat of the Brotherhood of the Most Holy Christ of Humility and Patience and Our Lady of Tears. Presiding and welcoming the participants was the parish priest, Father José María Fernández Corredor, who emphasized the spiritual and communal significance of this unique act.
The Football Club Intercity and CFI Alicante were present with their full structures: their president, Salvador Martí, the men’s and women’s first teams, as well as their coaching staff and administrative personnel. Representing the Brotherhood was its newly elected Elder Brother, Jorge Sanz, who inaugurated his mandate with this event, making it also his first official act.
The celebration took place within a Liturgy of the Word in which both brothers of the Brotherhood and players of the club took part. Special mention was given to the captain of the women’s team, Sofía Di Giovanni, and the men’s captains, Borja San Emeterio and Pol Roigé, who played an active role in the ceremony.
During the event, a collaboration and twinning agreement was signed between the Brotherhood and Football Club Intercity. This agreement establishes that the Most Holy Christ of Humility and Patience will henceforth be the Patron of the club, while Our Lady of Tears will be the Protectress of the players and their families. The club also committed to beginning each season with a visit to its Patron to pray for the health and success of all its members and, in the event of titles, victories, or promotions, to return to offer them and give thanks for the blessings received.
After the signing, the Brotherhood presented the club with a large-format photograph of the Christ, destined for its stadium, so that players and fans may always have their Patron present. Afterwards, the men’s and women’s first teams, together with CFI Alicante, carried out an emotional floral offering before the Brotherhood’s sacred images and, symbolically, presented an official team jersey. The shirt, bearing the name and number “Humility and Patience” on the back, was laid down as a sign of effort, hard work, and shared faith.
The event concluded with a large family photo that brought together the Brotherhood and Football Club Intercity, immortalizing a moment that marks a before and after in the history of sport and popular religiosity in Alicante.
With this twinning, the Brotherhood and the Club seal a bond that unites faith, sport, family, and community under the protection of the Most Holy Christ of Humility and Patience, Patron of Intercity, and of Our Lady of Tears, Protectress of all.
15 Useful Words
- Nombramiento- appointment
- Patrón- Patron (protector saint/figure)
- Memoria- memory
- Hermandad- brotherhood
- Plantilla- squad
- Cuerpo técnico- coaching staff
- Mandato- term (of office/leadership)
- Convenio- agreement
- Hermanamiento- twinning/bonding
- Obsequiar- to gift/present
- Estadio- stadium
- Ofrenda- offering
- Dorsal- jersey
- Esfuerzo- effort
- Vínculo- bond/connection
10 Useful Phrases
- quedará grabada en la memoria- will remain engraved in memory
- un momento histórico- a historic moment
- por primera vez- for the first time
- sede canónica- canonical seat (official church base)
- dio la bienvenida- gave a welcome
- la importancia espiritual y comunitaria- the spiritual and community importance
- tuvo (from tener) un papel- had an active role
- lograr títulos, victorias o ascensos- achieve titles, victories, or promotions
- realizaron una emotiva ofrenda floral- carried out an emotional floral offering
- marca un antes y después- marks a before and after (turning point)
Cultural Context
Football Clubs and Religious Patronage:
In Spain, it is not unusual for football clubs, especially those at a more local level, to associate themselves with religious figures and traditions. In fact, even those at the highest level often have such traditions. For example, Real Madrid, following every LaLiga/ Champions League victory, visit the Almudena Cathedral to dedicate their titles to the Virgin of Almudena. The proclamations seen above in the context of Intercity CF show how sport and faith can intertwine in Spanish community life. Such links show how football is not only entertainment but also as a cultural institution.
Above: 2024, the Real Madrid squad dedicates its 15th Champions League to the Virgin of Almudena
Hermandades (Brotherhoods) and the Semana Santa:
The involvement of the Hermandad del Santísimo Cristo del Hombre de Paciencia y Nuestra Señora de las Lágrimas connects this event to Spain ‘s deeply rooted Holy Week (Semana Santa) culture. Brotherhoods (hermandades) organize processions, safeguard religious images, and act as centers of community devotion. By partnering with Intercity, it is an example of the Brotherhood’s influence, expanding its role into the civic and sporting sphere, showing how religion continues to be at the centre of the local community.
Communal Identity in Football:
The agreement that Intercity will begin each season with a visit to its Patron, and return in case of victories or promotions to ‘offer’ their achievements, reflects a distinctly Spanish blending of football and community. This ritual reinforces the idea that football success is not only a sporting matter but also a shared community blessing, celebrated with religious symbolism and gratitude, something that binds fans, players, and the broader local society together.
Google Maps Tour:
Our Lady of Grace Parish, Alicante
https://maps.app.goo.gl/J1Co4P1XZ9UAcyob7?g_st=ipc
We bring back our Google Maps tours to explore where the ceremony took place, Our Lady of Grace Parish in Alicante.
The church of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, located in the Plaza de la Montañeta in Alicante, was built between 1945 and 1951 by the diocesan architect Antonio Serrano Peral as part of post-Civil War reconstruction.
It has since become an active hub for parish life: offering daily and weekend Masses, catechesis (including for children and adults), sacramental preparation (baptism, confirmation, marriage), social outreach (such as supporting immigrants, visiting the sick), and maintaining traditions like Semana Santa.
Thank you for reading our latest article! We hope you have enjoyed this and learnt more about both CF Intercity and Spanish culture!