membership of
Saint Andrew
Segovia
parish life
The Parish of San Andrés, like any parish, is a meeting place for the Christian community that gathers around the Eucharist. The Parish has assigned as hours of worship theSundays and obligatory holidays at 10:30 a.m.
However, in addition to the usual Sunday worship, the Parish hosts other celebrations during the year: sacraments such as first communions, marriages, obsequies... but also exceptional parties or solemnities such as the celebration of the Fourteenth Feast when it falls on the Parish of San Andrés , Special Eucharists such as the Cantemisa of Fr. Daniel Cuesta Gómez SJ,son of the baptismal font of the Parish and neighbor of the neighborhood, or other special celebrations. In the same way, the parishioners actively participate in the Holy Week acts with the rest of the Segovian brotherhoods. The Parish of San Andrés is part of the Segovia Centro Parish Unit, a pastoral unit made up of the churches in the upper area of the Segovian capital: San Martín, San Miguel, San Esteban, San Andrés and the Santísima Trinidad.
The UPA Segovia-Centro is in charge of centralizing all the pastoral activities of the respective parishes that form it, therefore, in the parish halls of the Santísima Trinidad, the catechesis of communion and confirmation of the young people of the area take place, the pre-marriage courses , the meetings of the pastoral council, the pastoral assemblies of health and upward life, etc.
If you need information about any of these activities or need to request assistance from Cáritas, do not hesitate to contact the priests of the UPA. You can also go to the parish office of the Holy Trinity onMonday and Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Plaza de la Santísima Trinidad 6, Segovia).
Contact with our priest:
Rev. Father Isaac Benito Melero
687 225 170
ibmelero@gmail.com
Some great moments of the Parish
- WYD MADRID 2011.
On the occasion of the World Youth Day convened in Madrid in 2011 byHH Pope Benedict XVI, the Parish lived a unique and unforgettable experience actively participating in one of the great events of the days, the Via Crucis.
A selection of penitential brotherhoods from all over Spain traveled to Madrid with their corresponding processional steps to represent the different stations of the exercise of the Via Crucis, the Paseo de Recoletos in the Capital became a great museum of sacred art awaiting the start of the celebration.
The Holy Recumbent Christ of Gregorio Fernández of the SI Cathedral, which the Parishion has guarded and accompanied in procession during Holy Week since 1979, was chosen by the organizing commission to represent the fourteenth station of said Via Crucis,"Jesus is laid in the grave".
Passage of the Santo Cristo Yacente in the corresponding position in the Paseo de Recoletos
The Parishioners, as it could not be otherwise, moved to Madrid to accompany the Holy Reclining Christ in the different acts along with a broad representation of various brotherhoods and religious associations in the city.
The headquarters of the Community of Madrid, located in Puerta del Sol, was the place designated for the custody of the Sacred Image the days prior to the great event. The early morning of August 19, the images They were transferred from their headquarters to the vicinity of the Via Crucis.
At 7:30 p.m., the prayer presided over by His Holiness began, in which the Youth Cross, which had previously traveled throughout the Spanish territory, marked the seasons, making stops before the different scenes.
After the exercise of the Via Crucis, the steps were again transferred in procession to their respective headquarters in the Capital. The Holy Reclining Christ was accompanied by the Parishion, the Drum Band, the Cathedral Chapter, priests of the UPA and by the then Bishop of Segovia Mons. Ángel Rubio Castro again to Puerta del Sol._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_
The Parish lived a unique experience of faith participating with great solemnity in one of the central acts of the conference.
"Rooted and Built Up in Christ, Firm in Faith"
Holy Christ Recumbent as he passes through the iconic Puerta del Sol.
Different representatives with the Bishop of Segovia in 2011, Bishop Ángel Rubio Castro.
Cabildo Catedral together with priests from the UPA and the Diocese of Segovia presiding over the procession.
Parishioners participating in the event pose after finishing the procession back to the headquarters in Madrid.
- FOURTEEN 2014.
In 2014 our Parish hosted the celebration of the Fourteenth, a Eucharistic tradition of Segovia that has its origin inn the year 1410, after the events known as "the miracle of Corpus Christi", , the celebration of a Eucharistic festival in honor of the Blessed Sacrament began in Segovia._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_
Said celebration takes the name of "La Catorcena" in reference to the fourteen existing parishes in Segovia at that time, and which since then have been in charge of carrying out religious acts to commemorate such an outstanding prodigy. Every year, one of those parishes is in charge of carrying out the celebration on the first weekend of September, ending with a solemn Mass, presided over by the bishop and a great procession with the Blessed Sacrament, from the corresponding church to the church of Corpus Christi.
The miracle of Corpus Christi:
The story tells that a sacristan from the disappeared parish of San Facundo lived beset by constant debts and with serious financial problems. Seeking to improve his situation, he turned to a very wealthy Jewish doctor, who agreed to help him in exchange for the sacristan giving him a consecrated Host from the tabernacle of the church of San Facundo.
After many doubts and fears, in the end the sacristan accepted the offer of the Jewish doctor and the exchange took place on Malconsejo street. With the consecrated Host in his possession, the doctor went to the Synagogue, where many Jews were gathered who decided to throw the Sacred Form into a boiling cauldron. But, the consecrated Host would never come into contact with the oil, since during its fall it stopped in the air to later rise with great majesty. Immediately afterwards, the Synagogue began to tremble with a mighty roar and a wide crack opened in the wall through which the Sacred Form came out until it reached the convent of the Holy Cross.
The Bishop of Segovia, once informed of the event, initiated the pertinent investigations to clarify the event. The sacristan confessed his sin and the Jewish doctor was arrested and sentenced to death. The king, John II, confiscated the synagogue and handed it over to the Bishop, who immediately consecrated it to Christian worship and named it the Church of Corpus Christi in memory of the miracle that occurred there.
Fourteen posters:
- 40 ANNIVERSARY OF THE FELIGRESS 2019.
In the year 2019 the Parishion celebrated its 40th anniversary accompanying the Holy Reclining Christ of the SI Cathedral. To celebrate this event, the parishioners developed a special program for Holy Week. The acts began that year with the traditional Eucharist before the Santo Cristo de la Paciencia in the Parish on Friday of Dolores. On Passion Saturday the Parishion organized a Brotherhood meal. On Palm Sunday afternoon, at 7:00 p.m., the door of San Frutos of the SI Cathedral was opened for the extraordinary exit of the Reclining Holy Christ. The Sacred Image would travel through our neighborhood in an unusual way to be transferred to the Parish of San Andrés where it would receive worship during the Greater Week until the morning of Holy Thursday. The procession left unusual images of the Holy Christ in daylight and through streets that had not passed for more than 30 years.
On Holy Monday the Parish hosted a conference by the parishioner and Jesuit Daniel Cuesta Gómez on the 40 years of accompaniment of the Parishion to Santo Cristo and the act ended with a sample of the Band of Bugles and Drums "El Cirineo" belonging to the Parish. On Holy Tuesday, the High Mass of the Parishion was celebrated in the Parish presided over by the Bishop of Segovia, Monsignor César A. Franco Martínez. On Holy Wednesday the Via Crucis had to be carried out inside the Parish due to adverse weather conditions. The weather also conditioned the transfer of the Holy Christ back to the SI Cathedral since it had to be carried out on Good Friday morning by private transport and our Parishion did not participate in the General Procession of the Steps due to high risk of rain._cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_
- CANTEMISA DANIEL CUESTA GÓMEZ SJ.
On June 29, 2021, the solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the Parish dressed up as a party to host a great event, a young parishioner, Daniel Cuesta Gómez, had been ordained a priest and was celebrating his first Eucharist in the Parish. We thank each and every one of the members of the Parishion who participated to enhance the solemn celebration. The Band of Bugles and Drums "El Cirineo" of the parish itself, performed different marches based on popular songs thanks to the arrangements of one of its musical directors,Pablo Garcia Garcia.The organist of the SI Cathedral of Segovia,Javier Santos,and the soloistFernando Hidalgo. Father Daniel celebrated the Eucharist surrounded by family, friends, colleagues from the congregation to which he belongs and some priests from the Diocese of Segovia.
A great and emotional day for the Parish of San Andrés in which we were able to thank God for the vocation of Father Daniel, for his commitment to God and to all of us. All the members of the Parish worked hard to highlight this great day in the history of our Parish, their vocation is a gift for our community and for the whole Church.
Video made by Manu Rodrigo.
Photographs: Javier Roman
- BETHLEHEM CHRISTMAS 2021.
On the afternoon of December 6, 2021, the inauguration of the Bethlehem that 40 years ago adorned the central park and Plaza de la Merced in Segovia during the Christmas season took place within our Parish.
This is the Bethlehem that the residents of the neighborhood built in 1984, about 35 life-size figures representing the residents with their faces and more than 40 sheep. During those first years, the complete nativity scene was exhibited in the gardens of the Plaza de la Merced, day and night, until vandalism, which on two occasions destroyed the figures, led to its not being placed again.
In 2021, almost 40 years ago, the residents recovered the figures and the assembly, although inside the parish church to avoid vandalism.
An initiative ofGregory Garrido, promoter of the neighborhood association of residents and a very active member of the Parish of San Andrés Parish, which has been supported by the youth group of the same and by the new parish priest, D. Isaac Benito Melero who encouraged the members of this Parish to restore the figures and reassemble the complete nativity scene. The interior of the Church is adapted during the Christmas season to show the scenes related to the Nativity of the Lord, including a small lake with a waterfall, a well and several large rocks, all built manually.
The figures were stored in the upper part of the vault of the Church, many of them badly decomposed by those acts of vandalism and by the passage of time. At the end of September they went down to the parish office and began their restoration with plaster, a restoration that had a very special help, the renowned painterJose Luis Lopez Saura was in charge of returning to the figures the faces of the residents of that time, as well as those of the new additions of some young parishioners who join the representation. In the restoration, assembly, clothing of the figures and adaptation of spaces, the entire parish worked together and the work could be contemplated until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
We hope to add new scenes every year!
Parishioners working on the restoration and assembly of the Nativity
Some scenes recovered and exhibited in the Parish during Christmas 2021
-NEIGHBOR DAY 2022.
On September 17, 2022, the Neighborhood Association of the San Andrés neighborhood recovered the traditional day of "Neighbor's Day". A festive day that stopped being celebrated in 2013 and that this year the new Board of Directors of the Association wanted to recover.
The day began with reveilles from the parishioner's drum band through the neighborhood, inviting the neighbors to the celebration. Next, a Eucharist was celebrated by all the neighbors in the Parish officiated by the priest responsible for San Andrés within the UPA, Rev. Father Isaac Benito Melero, who, based on the readings from Ecclesiastes chosen for the celebration, indicated in his homily the principles that should govern an association of people, "unity makes strength and discord hinders it"._cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_
Then, at the opening ceremony of the day in the Plaza de la Merced, before the Mayor of Segovia, Clara Martín and other members of the Municipal Corporation, the president of the Association, Blanca García García, welcomed all attendees and honored the figure of Gregorio Garrido, tireless engine of a multitude of social, cultural and religious activities in our neighborhood and in our Parish. The Fellowship will be eternally grateful for all your work.
The act ended with the delivery of a portrait with the Plaza de la Merced to Goyo, executed by the renowned artist and friend of his, José Luis López Saura, and with a few words from the Mayor of Segovia._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_
Subsequently, the attendees enjoyed a great popular paella, popular games for children and adults and a concert by the Segovian group "Azul Zuloaga" closely linked to the Fellowship.
Thanks to all who attended for this great community day!
Photographs: Óscar Costa and Antonio Tanarro.
-TREINTA ANIVERSARIO CRISTO DE LA PACIENCIA.
El año 2024 la Feligresía conmemoraba los 45 años de entidad penitencial acompañando al Santo Cristo Yacente de la S.I. Catedral en Viernes Santo y los 30 años de la primera salida procesional del Santo Cristo de la Paciencia.
Los primeros años de la Feligresía como entidad penitencial, el Viernes Santo, al finalizar la Procesión de los Pasos, se trasladaba la Imagen del Santo Cristo Yacente rezando el Vía Crucis por Sancti Spiritu, Arco del Socorro, Ronda de Juan II y Daoiz. Más tarde esta acción pasó a celebrarse el Jueves Santo trasladando al Santo Cristo Yacente a la parroquia, pero en 1994, con el fin de que la Imagen sufriera lo menos posible se decidió reducir sus salidas únicamente a la noche de Viernes Santo. Desde entonces preside el Via Crucis de la Feligrresía, primero en Jueves Santo y actualmente en Miércoles Santo, el Santo Cristo de la Paciencia.
Para conmemorar dicha efeméride se celebró en 2024 un Solemne Triduo al Santo Cristo siendo dispuesto de forma extraordinaria en el Altar Mayor de la parroquia delante de un gran dosel que ocultaba parte del retablo mayor. El Triduo fue oficiado por los sacerdotes vinculados a San Andrés: Rvdo. P. Daniel Cuesta Gómez SJ, Rvdo. Sr. Isaac Benito Melero y Mons. Andrés de la Calle García.
