five years ago that Don Fernando Mañó, natural Gandia, is in Xàbia. After six years in the parishes of Murla Benigembla and Castell de Castells and subsequently he spent eight in El Verger and Els Poblets.
Mañó makes a positive assessment of his stay in Xàbia, "I feel happy these five years, it has been five wonderful years enjoying with people and working in the parish, although I don't know if people will be happy with me". (Jokes)
"At the beginning you enter as a person who goes to a new place, with a little fear, after having happened to a great priest like Don Joaquin was"Says the pastor. Hand adds that it has good memories of the first day he came to Xàbia, "It was a triumphal entry, people welcomed me very well and it was a beautiful entrance".
Creation of a reception center
Now, on the occasion of 50 anniversary of the Parish of Our Lady of Loreto, Fernando Mañó claims the construction of a new bell tower, "This church is more valued abroad, than here, it is the third church in the world of style brutalist, and we want to make this great treasure known by creating a reception or interpretation center. "
The objective of this project "is that people know the history of Customs, the relationship of the brotherhood with the Virgin, how this church was built and ultimately know the parish"says the priest.
The parish of Our Lady of Loreto has always been a place of welcome, "Where everyone finds their place and is at ease. The celebrations are thoroughly prepared, and has a junior movement that is not valued, since it is made up of 80 children and young people, who organize games, cultural activities every week and also Christian formation ", says Don Fernando.
In addition, there is also a Caritas team that is supported by the donation of people and organizes street markets and concerts, as well as projects of evangelization of the parish where 60 people have joined.
New bell tower
On the bell tower, Mañó commented that one that does not want to overshadow the church, "We want the bell tower to enrich the Customs environment and be a point of reference, we present the project to the mayor and he was delighted as it is beautiful and beneficial for Xàbia"Says the pastor.
After some meetings with the mayor in his commitment to the project was reiterated, "The documentation was presented last October 2016 and to date we have no answer, we know they are difficult procedures." According says Fernando, this is a meeting next week with the councilor of urban planning and technical architects and expected results.
Union between the parish church and Customs
The parish priest of Aduanas de la Mar works to share new projects with the parish of the town. "Each parish has its idiosyncrasy, the parish of the port is a large parish with a lot of activity and when I was told by the bishop I was very scared but then it went very well", says the parish priest of Customs.
In Xàbia there are two parishes and in spite of the comments about tension between both, Fernando Mañó affirms that on a personal level he has never had any problem with the previous parish priest of the town, Don Vicente. "Each parish has its history and its way of doing things"He says. He also expressed that the new pastor, Don Salvador meets every week "Because we have projects in common and we are creating a relationship between the two parishes to show what they want to be, welcoming the rest of Xàbia and providing the good we have."
Mass in the Asylum
For some time, the Sunday mass at the Asylum Brothers Cholbi of Xàbia is no longer performed. Faced with this question, Fernando Mañó explains that understands the feelings of citizens, "We continue to attend the elders and we do the Mass during the week since we cannot do it on Sundays. The Asylum depends on a Board of Trustees that has statutes and spiritual attention is contemplated for the elders, but since the two parish priests are alone on Sunday, it's very complicated to carry it out. "
And it is that Fernando Mañó indicates that he attends the Sanctuary of The flat because he has an explicit appointment from the Cardinal and two assignments from the archbishop: to attend the Loreto parish and the monastery of the Virgin of the Angels since he is the rector.
Finally, Don Fernando stresses that the parish is in Xàbia to add, "We have a lot to contribute and we will help to train our young generations."
Fantastic projects, I highlight the evangelization, which is being a real revolution. From Italy it goes to Jávea and from here it is expanding. Thank God for the parish priest and parishioners, for the educators of the Juniors movement, for all the graces it gives us.
And those of
FANTASTIC PARROCO