On the 29th of September, many municipalities celebrate the feast of Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel. In Mijas, the celebration took place on Sunday 28th in Calahonda, with the traditional mass, a procession of the small statue of Saint Michael around the church, and a communal charity lunch, with all proceeds going to Caritas.

How could one not celebrate Saint Michael in Calahonda, when the archangel gives his name to the church and is venerated by the community? Once again, in keeping with tradition and faith, this area of Mijas paid tribute to the saint, who is prominent in the Bible and rich in symbolism, considered the “companion on journeys, walking with believers”, as described by the new parish priest of La Cala, Fernando Luque, whose priesthood in Mijas is less than a month old.

Luque explained: “Saint Michael is one of the archangels who, at various points in the Bible, appears as the angel always beside God, in God’s presence, and who, at particular moments in biblical history, accompanies people in their search, in their journey towards God".

Once again, the feast welcomed many residents, most of them foreigners or people from other parts of Spain who once chose Calahonda as their summer holiday destination and ended up staying to live and be part of the community. Ruth Holgado, a native of Cadiz who has lived in the urbanisation for 20 years, said that "the fact that we come together for the festival means that with the people with whom you share a common belief, with whom you share the Eucharist, you can also spend time outside the Church to get to know each other better, to build community, to ask the person sitting next to you how their life is going, and always over a meal, because it's much easier that way".

Another neighbour, Cristina Guzmán, who moved to Calahonda from Madrid 35 years ago, emphasised that the event "is a way of worshipping Saint Michael and also of getting to know people of different nationalities".

Solidarity meal

After the Holy Mass and the procession of the archangel’s image around the church, a communal lunch was held, turning the day into a charity event, with all funds raised going to Caritas. This charitable aspect was highlighted by the PP spokesperson at the Mijas Town Hall, Mario Bravo, who said that "there are many needs and few funds available, so it’s good for all of us to do our bit. For this reason, I would like to thank both the parish of San Miguel and all the residents of Calahonda for their presence and support at these events, which are very important to us".

For other councillors attending, the feast also holds a deeply personal significance, as they feel a strong connection to Calahonda. This was expressed by the Vox spokesperson at the Town Hall, Juan Carlos Cuevas Dawson, who pointed out that "what Saint Michael the Archangel represents for me is important, what this church represents, which my family, along with the Urbaneja family, helped to build, where I got married, and these pine trees, where I spent my youth playing".

For the PSOE spokesperson, Roy Pérez, "it really is a special day, especially for people like me, who have lived in Calahonda for many years and who come here year after year to maintain the tradition together with all the residents. Therefore, I am therefore happy to once again enjoy this day with our neighbours".

Just like the saint, these residents are also there to accompany and guide everyone who continues to choose Calahonda as their home.

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