On Friday the 1st, San Miguel de Calahonda parish became the starting point for a two-hour walk to the chapel of Nuestra Señora del Rocío. The route, created to prepare for the community’s expedition along the Portuguese Camino de Santiago in August, became an exercise in community building. Upon reaching the summit, Mass was held and followed by a paella.
The main architect of the walk, Fernando Luque, parish priest of La Cala and San Miguel de Calahonda, highlighted the event’s purpose: “The idea is to complete a stage that helps us prepare a little for the Camino de Santiago, but also to foster togetherness and build community”. Luque stressed the psychological and spiritual impact, as “the act of walking, sharing the journey, and overcoming difficulties as a family and as a Church while spending a day in nature are all positive values that we pass on and that this excursion helps us to experience more deeply”.
The success of the event was driven by the residents’ desire to recover the chapel. Eugenio Martínez, one of the participating residents, explained how its neglect prompted the initiative: “It saddened us to see the chapel somewhat neglected and lonely. For some time now, little by little and with friends, we began to clean it. Today makes it clear that what everyone needs is for someone to take the first step”, he said.
- Subieron hasta lo más alto de Calahonda
- | M.C.
The Town Hall provided assistance, and the councillor for Operational Services, Daniel Gómez Teruel (PP), accompanied the group, noting that “the government team is firmly in favour of traditions and everything that fosters unity, family and the enjoyment of the neighbourhood. This chapel is in an idyllic spot and its value needed to be highlighted. The Town Hall will always provide all possible help to ensure that initiatives like this, being held for the first time, endure over time”.
The ascent also served to remember those who forged the first communities in the area. Antonio Castro, a resident of Calahonda for over three decades, said: “For us, it is a reunion, a way of thanking God for beauty and for life, and an indispensable opportunity to remember loved ones who are no longer here”.
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