The association of relatives and cancer patients of Torrevieja (AFECÁNCER) has commemorated World Day Against Breast Cancer by reading a manifesto and displaying a panel with messages of solidarity in support of the many women, and some men, who have overcome or are surpassing this disease. The rally, held in the Plaza de la Constitución, had municipal support and assistance …

The Department of Employment and Local Development in Torrevieja has launched a competition aimed at young entrepreneurs, “Premios Jóvenes Emprendedores 2018”. The contest is aimed at young people under 35, which aims to “reward people with entrepreneurial initiative, linked to the city, who have developed or launched a business project,” said Víctor Ferrández, the councillor responsible for launching the event. …

In recognition of World Mental Health Day, Torrevieja’s Centre for Rehabilitation and Social Integration, CRIS, or Centro de Rehabilitación e Integración Social, was the location for the reading of the proclamation, “Inclusive education, positive mental health”, in collaboration with ADIEM, in which the mayor of the town, José Manuel Dolón and the councilor of the Presidency and Government, Domingo Soler …

The councillor for young people in Torrevieja, Víctor Ferrández, has presented the 2018 autumn youth activity schedule, aimed at young people from 12 to 35,  and held mostly in the Centro de información y animación juvenil (CIAJ). The councilor explained that there are more than 25 activities available, which include leisure events, employment and training courses and workshops. The councillor …

Professor at the University of Alicante, Marco A. Celdrán, chaired the conference “New Scenarios for the Planning of Tourism”, which was held in the casino of Torrevieja, an initiative of the Department of Tourism in Torrevieja, in recognition of World Tourism Day. The coordinator of the University Headquarters of the UA in Torrevieja, José Norberto Mazón, intervened at the beginning …

C.L.A.R.O’s 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 13 November was well attended and positive, adopting innovative plans for the future and electing a new President. The first debate in the meeting was on the results of the municipal elections in May.   Although not as good as hoped for, the AGM stressed that for the third time C.L.A.R.O. had won the …

Officers from the Guardia Civil in Alicante have arrested two men who deceived women into performing strip teases and naked dance routines during interviews for nonexistent jobs as nightclub dancers. The operation began last summer when investigators b...

Officers from the National Police have arrested a minor in Málaga accused of sharing naked pictures and videos of his former girlfriend, also a minor, through social network sites. The complaint was raised after the pair broke off their relationship Read More ...

Last Saturday we had another enjoyable day of rugby. Mountain Ash Youth team from Wales, plus Burgess Hill from England and La Vila. We played together some social rugby from 4 pm until 6 pm after which we inaugurate our sky sport connection and watche...

Officers from the National Police have arrested two men for stalking a well known Spanish TV presenter. The investigation began following a complaint by the victim, in which it was stated that the recipient of the abuse had suffered for Read More ...

Between the 4th and the 10th of May, many countries around the globe will celebrate the Third World Road Safety Week, which this time the United Nations has dedicated to children. Worldwide, some 500 children die every single day in traffic related in...

Open for 365 days of the year the Church of San Anton in Madrid has hauled itself into the 21st Century by recently embracing new technology. Introduced only last month it currently offers free wifi, live streaming of services from all over the world on wide screen televisions and a special confession App.
Having recently been taken over by the Messengers of Peace Foundation, (Mensajeros de la Paz), founded and chaired by Father Angel Garcia, it also has a full program of social and cultural activities, including foster care, social assistance, a clothing outlet and even facilities for a bank.

And not content with pushing technical boundaries, the church is also unique in welcoming animals, encouraging visitors to bring their two and their four-legged friends along to mass.

It is also manned 24 hour a day by a group of priests, spread over several shifts, who are always on hand to administer sacraments of continuous mode. The aim is that it will always be a place for reflection and dialogue, a caring home to share and an oasis of silence and prayer.

Father Angel, the driving force behind the initiative, said ".It hurts to find churches with closed doors. San Anton will always be open to anyone who needs help: for those who want to pray or confess, for those who need someone to listen, or who just required a hot coffee, indeed anyone who would like a warm drink. Visitors are welcome to stay for as long as they like, at any time of day.

San Anton is a 21st century church, it has embraced modern technology in order to make itself as welcoming as possible, to parishioners both of the human and animal variety.”

One of the priests on duty told us that the live-streams are mainly taken from the Vatican. They are supplemented by religious films and documentaries.

One of the San Anton's main technical features is an iPad app to help the deaf and hard of hearing go to confession. People now are able type out their confession on an IPad and receive a typed answer from the priest. This saves any embarrassment that they might be caused by having to shout.

Father Angel said he was "very happy" because the project has the blessing and support of Carlos Osorio, the Archbishop of Madrid who was responsible for inviting in the Messengers of Peace Foundation.

The Church of San Anton is popularly known because of its affiliation to animals which are blessed on 17 January, the feast of its patron saint. Such blessings, along with the social and traditional religious activities, will be further developed in the coming months.

And as part of its determination to welcome everyone into the church, San Anton is thinking considering the introduction of a Sunday mass in English for tourists and residents in Madrid.

With the recent acknowledgement that half of all Spaniards no longer practice their religion and one in five insisting that they are "confirmed atheists" perhaps the introduction of similar measures in other churches across the country will help reverse the dramatic loss of faith in what has always been known as a traditionally Roman Catholic Country.