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The Roots
(continued)
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Some 20 miles
west of Leon there is a small country village called Mataluenga on
the right bank of the Luna River in the fertile valley of Orbigo. The people
of this area make their living from agriculture and cattle raising; the
main harvest is hops, used to give aroma and flavor to the beer. Mataluenga
was the home of Atanasio and Magdalena Arias. There, on July 22, 1929,
David was born, as well as his other six brothers and sisters; two of them,
José Antonio and Consuelo, also entered the Order of Augustinian
Recollects. |
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Arias Coat
of Arms
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Heraldic science tells
us that the Arias ancestors came from Galicia and Asturias, and
later spread through Leon, Castile and other parts of the world.
Its coat of arms contains a tower, an eagle and the cross of Calatrava.
The tower stands for security, greatness and the power that is
used to defend friends and resist enemies. The eagle is the symbol
of magnanimity and looks from on high to discharge its responsibilities.
The cross expresses the Christian identity of the knights who fought
against the Moslems to defend the city of Calatrava. |
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David spent his first 12 years
in Mataluenga and attended elementary school there. His family now lives
in Madrid and other towns near Mataluenga, like Rioseco de Tapia, San Román
de los Caballeros, Llamas de la Ribera and Villaviciosa
de la Ribera, the place where Bishop Arias now spends his summer vacation.
Villaviciosa, at the confluence of the Luna and Omaña rivers, is
the head of that fertile riviera irrigated by Orbigo River. One can find
there meadows with poplars, fields of corn and hops plantations. Though
the weather is cold in the winter, the temperature is quite pleasant in
the summer. |
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