By Francisco Castillo
This Sunday afternoon, the people of Albox who attended the Holy Mass could not have imagined the surprise that awaited them; their Bishop, Don Antonio Gómez Cantero, arrived to preside over the celebration. As he himself explained to the faithful; «I know you have had to wait, but I have just come from seeing the Virgen del Saliente». In fact, he was visiting the Pequeñica and encouraging the artist Andrés García Ibáñez in the great pictorial work he is carrying out in the Diocesan Sanctuary of the Saliente.
He took the opportunity to show the most important Marian enclave of Almería to two of his friends; Don Anastasio González Aguado, Vicar General of Palencia, and Don Antonio García Redondo, parish priest of San Antonio de Palencia.
In the Parish Church of the Concepción de la Loma de San Francisco, he had the opportunity to remember Blessed Juan Ibáñez Martínez, founder of the Almeria Scouts, and to meet the Brotherhood of St. John the Evangelist. To make sure the children knew the prayers well, he invited them to flood the presbytery with his joy and help him to pray with the Our Father. Feeling more of a community than ever, the parishioners expressed their affection and passed on to Don Antonio the fields in which they work apostolically. A visit that was as unexpected in the agenda as it was joyful and full of hope.