Familyʼs Donation Reopens Parish Closed for 30 Years

The owner of the company that restored the church said bringing it back was 'important for the self-esteem of the town.'

by EWTN NEWS 

Church of Sts. Cosmas and Damian in Ansoain

– Wikimedia.org

MADRID — Thanks to the donation of a local family, Sts. Cosmas and Damian parish in the Spanish town of Ansoáin was reopened to the public recently, after having closed its doors 30 years ago.

On Sept. 30, Bishop Juan Aznárez Cobo, an auxiliary of the Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela, said Mass at the parish to reopen it. The date was chosen because of its proximity to the Sept. 27 feast of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, the patrons of Ansoáin.

Ansoáin is a suburb of Pamplona, in the Navarre region. The reopening of the parish came through a donation from Felisa Sarasibar Esquiroz and her family, according to the local Diario de Navarra.

A foundation started with the help of Sarasibarʼs late brothers and her husband, Ramon Erice, contributed to the donation. The Sarasibars had been considering making a donation to restore and reopen the church for several years, as many of them were baptized there.

According to Felisa, when two of her brothers died, she took up the idea again “because we were sad that it was closed. So we looked for an architect to come up with a plan that the archdiocese would approve.”

The 82-year-old Spaniard declined to say how much the restoration cost.

The parishʼs restoration was completed by Leache Construction, the owner of which called it a “great social work.” He noted that much of the cost of the restoration went to hiring 10 workers for the project.

“Also, it is important for the self-esteem of the town, for they retrieve a landmark,” the owner said.

“And also, from the spiritual point of view, because it enables a building to return to a religious function.”

Work on the church began in 2012 and was completed in August 2013. The roof, interior and furniture were all renovated because of deterioration and vandalism.

A reredos of the Virgin Mary that the diocese had kept in a museum for the past 30 years was also reinstalled in the church.

The main altar, which dates to the 17th century and features carvings of the Passion, the Crucifixion, the Blessed Mother, St. John, St. Michael and St. Barbara, was also restored.

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