Great attendance at the solidarity party for projects in Chimbote promoted by Father Jaume Benaloy

Around 300 people attended today the solidarity party organized by the Benidorm priest Jaume Benaloy in the Ermita de Sanz, which has served to raise funds with which to develop different projects in Chimbote, Peru, where this priest has been working as a missionary for fifteen years.

An event attended by the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, the majority of the municipal corporation, the regional deputies José Ramón González de Zárate and Manuel Pérez Fenoll, the senator Agustín Almodóbar, the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals, Valentina Almodóbar and Laia Zamora, representatives of associations and festive and civil entities of the city and the organizers of the event: Luis Vañó, president of the Benidorm-Chimbote Solidarity Association (ASBECH); Rosa Picó, from Manos Unidas Benidorm; Pepita Orozco, from Cáritas Parish of San Jaime and Santa Ana; Juan Ángel Ferrer, president of the Rotary Club Benidorm; Juanjo Galiana, from the Lions Club; and Paquita Benaloy, from Anémona-Marina Baixa; with whom the Missions Group of the Virgen del Carmen parish also collaborates.

During the event, the City Medal that the City Council awarded to Benaloy last December was presented, coinciding with the institutional event of Constitution Day, in recognition of his dedication to others and his fight to improve the quality of life of people and the environment. Before the formal ceremony, a mass was celebrated in the Plaza de la Ermita, officiated by Jaume Benaloy himself.

The City Council awarded the Medal on December 6 on the occasion of Constitution Day, but the impossibility of being at the event in person, it was his parents, Pepe Benaloy and María Luisa Marco, who collected it. Now the City Council has taken advantage of the Solidarity Party and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of his ordination as a priest to personally present him with the award.

The funds raised will go to two different projects. On the one hand, to collaborate with the Asilo San José de Casma and on the other, the Cáritas Juvenil project in the parish of Santo Toribio de Chimbote. The latter is a school reinforcement and nutrition project for children and young people and the construction of a library that will bear the name of the Virgin of Srufagio.

The solidarity party began at 12:45 p.m., with the mass, and was followed by the award of the City Medal. Finally, a meal was offered to all attendees, the ticket price was 25 euros. You could also collaborate through 'row 0' for people who could not attend the party but wanted to contribute to both projects.

Benaloy has spoken of his memories of when his vocation came to him, he has had words for the priest Juan Rodríguez who died 10 years ago, who “donated most of his inheritance to the diocese of Chimbote.” “It has been 25 fascinating years of priestly service; in Alicante, Rome, Almoradí, Peru.” More than 15 years outside Spain; “9,125 intense days with many experiences, more than 10,000 celebrations, thousands of hours of classes, meetings, talks, and many solidarity projects and environmental struggles.”

Jaume Benaloy has defined himself as “a privileged, a happy priest, and I want to share him with you” and has already expressed his desire that Benidorm “also be known for being a supportive and missionary town, a welcoming town that knows how to go beyond their problems". To conclude, he said that the medal that was awarded to him today "is a recognition that I accept with humility, but it is not only my medal but that of all of us who are here and those who have not been able to come."

For his part, Mayor Toni Pérez has shown the “pride” of the entire city in the fact that “our patron saint gives her name to a project in Peru; “That makes us continue to be supportive.” Pérez thanked Benaloy "because with your actions you allow Benidorm to be in the showing solidarity."

The event concluded with the reading of Pope Francis' blessing to Jaume Benaloy for his priestly silver anniversary "so that they may be a strong spiritual stimulus to continue in his dedication to Christ and the values of the kingdom of God", and with the hymn of the Virgin of Sufragio.