The path to reach the Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Barajas , whose tower design and construction dates back to the 17th century, passes through the Plaza Mayor of a town linked to the history of the 1st Count Barajas, Francisco Zapata, with a title granted by the King Felipe II dated 1572. The temple, which suffered the vicissitudes of the Civil War, today is beautifully decorated and cared for thanks to the efforts of the current parish priest Jorge Javier Flores , known as J., a nearby priest with clear ideas about what means serve. He is accompanied by the priest from India, Nobby Xavier Manatt, who also studies at San Dámaso.
The parish of Barajas would not be understood without the history of the parish and the diocesan College of San Pedro Apóstol, one of the first parish schools that were launched in Madrid, thanks to the efforts of a mythical priest, Don Máximo Martínez de Castro . The parish, which offers the image of a popular parish, has seven thousand faithful , a population that has aged considerably and is undergoing the transformations of a Madrid district that is constantly changing. But let's go to one of the pillars of parish activity, the Colegio de San Pedro Apóstol, today with nearly a thousand students, which is one of the legs of an essential tripod for the mission: family, parish and school. « If we lose education, we lose the Church», comments the priest. To such an extent that Don Jorge Javier confesses that to a great extent his work consists of «continuing the holy madness of Don Máximo».
What was that blessed madness? It is told to us by the official story that is told on the school's website and that the parish priest reminds us of: "In 1946, D. Máximo Martínez de Castro, parish priest of Barajas, faced with the absolute lack of means on the part of the Administration to give training to the young people of this population and the imminent development of the area, with a great vision of the future, creates a School of Apprentices of Trades in the parish premises . Its objective was the education and training of young people between the ages of 14 and 18 to learn mechanics applied to aviation. The prestige achieved by the certificates of this school was not only appreciated in Spain, but was also valued abroad, particularly in Germany.
Given the lack of sufficient schools in the area, sensitive to this situation and, as an objective of his pastoral work, in 1949 he created the first two primary school units , one for boys and one for girls. Always attending to the needs that arose, the College continued to grow until it formed a complete Graduate School. In 1950 the Parish Board of Trustees was created and incorporated into the Diocesan».
Renovated facilities
Today the parish school has renovated facilities and is one of the educational centers of reference in the area. But life does not end there. Both the parish and the College, from the time of Don Máximo, had a special vocation to integrate diversity. If the educational center is characterized by something, it is by integrating students with mental and physical deficiencies into its classrooms. To such an extent that the parish has an Occupational Center for integration, with twenty students, a center that is a jewel of treatment and personal accompaniment .
To all this we must add the charitable, liturgical and catechetical life. Nearly four hundred first communion children , the confirmation group, the family group, the Cáritas, which works as part of the Cáritas of the archpriesthood and, of course, the movement of popular religiosity, the Brotherhoods, a very active area, which gives life to the parish. As can be seen from the images that the temple houses, we are at the headquarters of the Association of the Christ of Love and San Juan; the Association of Gethsemane, Jesus in the Garden; the Brotherhood of the Virgen de la Soledad, patron saint of Barajas –with its famous hermitage, a geographical reference-; the Brotherhood of El Señor de los Milagros, a venerated image in Peru; and the Brotherhood of Rocío de Barajas. A varied palette of popular devotionthat is part of the identity of this community full of life.
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