For those who live in Sitio de Calahonda the festivity of San Miguel is very special. Not only because of the devotion to the saint, but also because it is a festive day which for decades has united the English and Spanish communities living in the area around the Church of San Miguel. The feast of San Miguel "is always a very special and beautiful day in Calahonda, because it is a feast that brings together, in the same celebration, people who usually do not meet in this church, the English and the Spanish speaking community. Today we all came together for mass, we sing in both languages and, above all, we celebrate God together, which I think is the most important and the most beautiful thing", said the parish priest Juan Baena, who officiated the mass in both English and Spanish.
The mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), also attended the celebration. "It is a mass that is traditionally very affectionate, where there is an opportunity to have a meeting between neighbours of different nationalities, who perhaps do not usually participate in other festivals and activities of the municipality, but today they do come together to celebrate this feast", said the mayoress, who was also accompanied by the councillors of the government team Mario Bravo (PP), Silvia Marín (PP), Marco Cortés (PP) and Juan Carlos Cuevas Dawson (VOX).
"I am very moved, I can't help it. My father was one of the driving forces behind this church, and when I was a child, I used to play in this area that used to be a pine forest, where this church was later built, and it brings back a lot of memories for me. I am very grateful for all the people who have attended and for all the affection I have received. Calahonda is a very important residential area, an example for the whole of the Costa del Sol. Now it is our turn to promote a little bit more all the residential areas, we are getting closer and God willing we will be able to do it soon", said Cuevas Dawson.
A day of coexistence
Nowadays, Sitio de Calahonda has more than 7.000 properties and more than 60 years of history. Here neighbours of different nationalities live together, mainly English. "For me it is an honour to represent the English speaking community in the parish of San Miguel. Today we are celebrating a very special day and we are doing it together, the English speaking British community and the Spanish community, so it is a very special day in Calahonda", said Emma Saunders, a neighbour of the area.
Another resident, in this case Spanish, Ana Sánchez, expressed herself in the same way: "This festivity is very special for us, it is something we have been celebrating for a long time and San Miguel is always the perfect day to unite the two communities, the English and the Spanish", she said. Juan de Orbaneja, promoter and son of the founder of Calahonda, José de Orbaneja, is also very familiar with the development of this residential area. In its beginnings the pilgrimage of San Miguel "came from La Cala to Calahonda, when there the church here did not exist and it was held in the pine forest that was in the area. At that time the first parish priest, Don Rodrigo, was a very special person and managed to unite the people of La Cala and the people from here", recalled Orbaneja, who pointed out that the church of San Miguel, which today hosts the celebration, “was built in the 80”s, and the truth is that this festival is very good, it is very special for me and my family", he concluded.
During the mass, Prossy Nabasumba, who is participating in the Marbella International Film Festival with the film ‘I am much more’, one of the 600 selected for the festival, also sang. "I have come here to represent the Help Africa Children's Choir, in my country, Uganda, it is for a film festival, the film is called ‘I am much more’ and I sing it with 14 other children from my country", said 19 year old, who took part in the festivity with the aim, she said, of promoting integration between the communities residing in Calahonda.
A deeply-rooted pilgrimage
After the mass, one of the most endearing moments came with the small procession of the image of San Miguel around the parish church. Those in attendance accompanied the religious float singing and showing absolute respect throughout the procession. "I think this is a reflection of how the Mijas society should be: open, supportive and respectful of other nationalities", added Mata.
As every year, the festivity of San Miguel in Calahonda ended with a convivial lunch in the church gardens. A large paella was served among the attendees and the neighbours also brought typical dishes to share. Another example of a celebration that has always been characterised by its social and supportive nature.
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