From the hands of the Archbishop of Granada, Monsignor José María Gil Tamayo, last Saturday, September 2nd, a long-awaited opening for the parish community took place. Thus, more than 500 people accompanied the historic moment of their neighbourhood: the dedication of the new Parish of the Holy Spirit in Granada (Spain), located in Joaquina Eguaras street and whose construction work began in 2015. The work of the architect Elisa Valero, community life, Eucharist and pastoral and charitable activities, which for years have been carried out in commercial premises, now have a new church.
The ceremony began with the opening of the doors of the church to begin the rite of dedication, a liturgy in which the altar was anointed, incensed, clothed and illuminated, where the bread and wine were consecrated by the priest in the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Next to the altar, the walls of the church were also anointed and their lamps lit. All this as a sign of the place being completely dedicated to Christian worship and of Christ who is the “light to enlighten the nations”.
Precisely, the Archbishop Mons. Gil Tamayo expressed his gratitude to God and congratulated the parishioners for the day they had experienced and shared with the ecclesial community of the neighbourhood: “My thanksgiving to God and my congratulations to the parishioners for the dedication of the beautiful parish church of the Holy Spirit in Granada, which will be a true place of encounter with God and of evangelising action in the church of the north of Granada, which filled the new church to which they have contributed with sacrifice and generosity. God bless them!”.
The high white roofs with skylights, reminiscent of the name of the parish (Holy Spirit), and its bell tower, are a reminder that the dream of a new church has become a reality, after years of waiting for its final construction. “It has been years of growing as a parish community around the Lord and in communion with our brothers and sisters. They have been great experiences”, explained its parish priest, the Claretian priest Juan Jesús Gea, who recalled that the previous place was a place “to prepare ourselves, to launch ourselves in this new parish church, which has been the great gift. It has been a time in which we have been growing, living a discipleship and living the mission towards the neighbourhood; making the parish be among the people of our neighbourhood”.
We join in the words of joy for this new temple and we encourage them to continue, with even more enthusiasm if possible, with their evangelising work in their catechesis, solidarity projects and groups that make up the parish community.
The Parish of the Holy Spirit reminds us of the Mass schedule for the new pastoral year. From 16th September: in the morning, at 9.00 a.m. from Monday to Saturday and Sunday at 10.00 a.m. and 12.00 noon; in the evening, from Tuesday to Sunday at 7.30 p.m. (there are no masses on Monday afternoons).
(Content elaborated with information obtained from the Archdiocese of Granada | Paqui Pallarés)
