Some years ago a small group of Christians who had made their homes on the Costa Brava in North-East Spain shared their Christian faith and decided to meet for informal prayer and worship.
From there the congregation of Madremanya, a small town almost midway between Barcelona and the Pyrennees grew. Regular services were held in the Anglican tradition with John Copestake, one of the founders, leading Evening or Morning Prayer.
In late September the Reverend Anne Jenkins was licensed as Priest-in-Charge of the congregation and has begun leading services and continuing to build the church there. Her welcome at the service, led by Canon Hugh Broad, Area Dean of the Archdeaconry of Gibraltar, included the local Mayor (Alcalde Albert Peracaula – pictured above greeting Anne) and Roman Catholic clergy. They and their bishop allow their churches to be used for Anglican worship.
This is a typical story of growth in the Diocese in Europe. The formal formation of Madremanya completes a long chain of Anglican churches from the French border down the Mediterranean coast to Gibraltar.
