Thousands march in Argentina on Day of San Cayetano, patron saint of bread and work
Traditional pilgrimage to patron saint of bread and work doubles as protest against Milei’s austerity measures. Leer más
Thousands of Argentinians gathered in Buenos Aires on Friday to pay tribute to San Cayetano, the patron saint of bread and work. This annual gathering, organized by the General Confederation of Labour, trade unions and social organizations, has evolved into a demonstration against President Javier Milei's austerity policies. The march began with a mass at the Saint Cajetan shrine in the Liniers neighborhood, located in the western part of the city.
Protesters carried religious images and banners as they marched towards Plaza de Mayo, the location of government headquarters, under the slogan "peace, bread, housing and Argentine work." During the homily, Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva reminded attendees that "responsibility and the concrete solution to economic and social problems lies with a political leadership that sometimes appears to look the other way."
Saint Cajetan, born in Venice in 1480, made his mark in Naples before his devotion spread to Argentina through successive waves of Spanish and Italian immigration. Some believers arrived at the shrine days in advance to stay vigilant and enter at midnight as the day began. Retired man José Jiménez, who has been attending the San Cayetano celebration for 40 years, expressed his gratitude for never having gone without work and health, and said he came to give thanks and seek the saint's assistance.
Written by urgent.news from Buenos Aires Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
