JAÉN, Spain.
On May 1, the bishop of the Diocese of Jaén, Bishop Ramón del Hoyo López, blessed and inaugurated the first phase of the parish dedicated to St. Pedro Poveda in this city.
The pastor, Fr. Julio Segurado, stated that "this date will be remembered in the parish community because a dream has come true: this Christian community has a worthy temple and facilities to accommodate the many pastoral and catechetical activities of the parish, which serves a large neighborhood of the Boulevard.”On February 12, 2012, Bishop Ramón del Hoyo had blessed the first stone of what would be the parish church, and construction began on March 1 of that year. The complete project includes a temporary temple of more than 450 square meters, 8 classrooms for catechesis, 2 rooms for “Caritas,” housing for the Pastor, a meeting room, a warehouse, parking and a columbarium. These represent over 1,400 square meters. Another 1,000 square meters have been urbanized and the Church offers them to families of the neighborhood.
The Inauguration
A crowd filled the premises of the new temple. More than thirty priests concelebrated with the Bishop. The pastor headed the entrance procession carrying a chest with a relic of St. Pedro Poveda, which was to be placed in the new altar.
The moments of consecration and incensing of the altar were especially moving, as well as the singing of the Litany of the Saints sung by the choir Escuch-Arte and the proclamation of the Word of God for the first time at the new lectern. Bishop Ramón del Hoyo, in his homily, thanked the work of the priest, Fr. Julio Segurado and all the people and organizations that have helped to make this parish a reality. As he gave thanks for the relic, Bishop Ramón del Hoyo said that St. Pedro Poveda "who was a witness to Christ and a model for evangelization, will intercede before the Lord for us to come closer to Christ and make him the center of our lives, so that His gospel may be brought to new generations and to the faithful of this area of the city". He also expressed hope that "these facilities may always be a beacon of light and shelter for all".
After the Eucharist, the Pastor said a few words of thanks:
The large number of people gathered at the celebration spoke of a very alive community that has been forming since the parish began in the small chapel of Mary Help of Christians four years ago. This task has been carried out with dedication and effort by the pastor Fr. Julio Segurado, who has had the collaboration of a group of lay people who formed different teams: Pro-Temple Commission, Catechesis, and Caritas. They have been the “parish” as they have collaborated in various activities and with their financial contribution. The parishioners of Saint Pedro Poveda parish joined in the celebration. Also, there were many members of the Teresian Association, alumni, employees and friends. Representing the Director of the Teresian Association in Spain were María Serrera and Paqui Feria. Family members of Saint Pedro Poveda, Mr. Luis Pedro Poveda, his wife, two sisters, his four children and grandchildren, were also in attendance. Once the liturgical act was complete, the celebration continued at Zaida Restaurant for a meal to benefit the parish work. It was a very pleasant occasion for fellowship among the faithful, the bishop, and several priests. It was the right time to thank the members of the committee Pro-temple and to show recognition to Antonio Pérez Morales, the contractor of the project, who has been working for free since the beginning of the project.
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Info.IT
Information by Fr. Julio Segurado and María Antonia Muñoz