About the Church: Whether you have already moved or are about to move to the Costa Blanca, or are here regularly for part of the year, or as a holiday visitor, we will be equally pleased to welcome you at Teulada which we continue to call ourselves despite having relocated to a church away from the town centre. We meet in the Ermita de San Jose for the Holy Eucharist each Sunday at 11.45 am. The Ermita is located between Benissa, Moraira and Calpe, half a kilometre inland from the coast road linking Calpe and Moraira. See below for directions. Meanwhile, here’s a little more information about us.
No church has a resident priest, but we are served by the full-time chaplains and a number of honorary assistant priests, some of whom have retired to Spain, and others who come out for a period of weeks or months - usually wishing they could stay here longer. In general the system works very well, and gives both priests and congregation a degree of variety not normally experienced in the UK. In addition to the clergy, we have active teams of lay people in each individual church as well as a strong co-ordinating Chaplaincy organisation.
Like most churches we try to reach out to the local and wider community. In our case, we support the Fransciscan Hospice in Gandia. This is a self-supporting charity run by 3 Franciscan Brothers who rely on the generosity of others to care for destitute men who have fallen on hard times. The Brothers constantly need clothes, food and other supplies, and what they have achieved with lay help in a very short time is virtually miraculous. We also support the Red Cross shop in nearby Benitachell.
On an international front, we sponsor a World Vision child, Mada, living in a small village in Zambia. The funds we raise help both Mada and her village with education, food, supplies and health care.
If you just want to join us for worship, that’s fine. And you don’t have to be an Anglican either: we welcome Christians of every denomination. But if you want to get more involved, there are plenty of opportunities – as sidesmen, reading the lesson, helping at social events etc. The English Choir visits us every second Sunday in the month and if you enjoy singing, they are always keen to welcome new members. The Saturday Club meets every week to encourage children to get involved with the Church, and their annual Nativity Play is one of the highlights of our year.
We are a Christian Stewardship Chaplaincy and rely on regular giving to maintain our clergy, our worship and our ministry. You can give on the collection plate, by a one-off donation or through regular standing order from a UK or Spanish bank. If you are a UK taxpayer, the Chaplaincy can recover the UK income tax paid on your donation through the Gift Aid Scheme. Please see our Christian Stewardship Officer or any of the committee members for details.
We hold a number of social events during the year partly to raise funds, but mainly to enjoy each other’s company. Moving abroad and leaving behind family, friends and your local church community can be a daunting experience; but all of us have found new friends out here and we often find that, we have more in common with each other here than we had with some of our friends at home. You’ll also find that people can be a very useful source of valuable information, from finding a reliable plumber or a good restaurant to understanding the niceties of Spanish taxation. Above all we want you to feel at home.
If you want more information you can contact Edith Pidoux, our Church Warden, or ask a member of the committee. They’re the ones wearing the badges on a Sunday, and their photographs are at the back of the church. We do hope we’ll see you soon: ¡Hasta Luego!
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| Directions: From Calpe: (5km) or Moraira (7km) take the CV746 until the junction with the CV745 to Benissa, and continue for 0.5km approx. The church is on the left-hand side, and identified by a blue and yellow sign - Ermita de San Jose.
From Benissa, at the roundabout nearest to the northern end of the N332 through the town, take the unmarked, uphill exit (which is the CV745) and continue on this winding, and eventually hairpin-bended road for about 7km. The church is on the right-hand side, shortly after the 15km marker post.
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