The residents of the town of Mácher began the festivities in honor of their patron saint, Saint Peter, with the reading of the proclamation, a distinction that this year fell to the priest Francisco Javier Sánchez González.
The event took place in the Socio-Cultural Center of Mácher last Saturday with the social hall at full capacity. The speaker, Francisco Javier Sánchez González, is assigned to the Nuestra Señora de Belén parish in Fuenlabrada and is Chaplain of the Navalcarnero Madrid prison. Sánchez has maintained friendly ties with the residents of the municipality of Tías and Mácher for 30 years, and every summer during his vacations he spends them in Lanzarote, substituting for the titular parish priest and taking advantage of the crystal-clear waters of Lanzarote to take good baths and recharge his batteries to continue his priestly mission in Madrid.
Normally, the content of the proclamations is mostly related to the experiences of the speaker, glossing over the history of the patron saint to whom the festivities are dedicated. On this occasion, Francisco Javier Sánchez began by recounting the important role that Saint Peter has played in the Catholic Church, the saint for whom the festivities are celebrated in the town of Mácher, as the speaker expressed it. "Of Saint Peter, perhaps everything has been said, but I would like to add that he is the first pope and that he is a tough man, of deep convictions, very sure of himself, but, without a doubt, close to others, to the group of disciples, and to Jesus, of course. But at the same time, a man capable of recognizing his weakness when the moment comes: Jesus, the Master, in whom he deeply believes, makes him fall from his certainties and recognizes that he needs others and the strength of God," explained the priest.
Regarding his experiences, Francisco Javier recalled how it was the first time he came to Lanzarote in 1990. He came from Madrid with his parents, now deceased, and Mácher seemed to him a picturesque but difficult town to visit, due to the separation of the houses, the streets... he recalled that his mother, who visited the island on two occasions, always told him: "but it is very difficult to be here, you have to go everywhere by car and you can hardly walk." Even so, both his parents and he always felt welcomed and loved by all the people, the times they came. Amazed and happy also for how well he was loved by all the neighbors, in his visits to Lanzarote his parents enjoyed the people, the landscape, the mojo picón, the cheese and being able to share the faith and the houses, in short, all the affection they received and that he continues to receive today.
Regarding the town of Mácher, the speaker said that this separation of its houses and streets does not mean that people are separated, but that Mácher has a very special identity, which makes it a very special town. "In Mácher, it is discovered that the important thing is not its streets, or the houses, but the people, the homes, the families, the people who live in them and who especially open their hearts and their very lives," he added.
Looking back, the speaker recalled the first time he celebrated the Eucharist in the church of San Pedro in Mácher, that was my feeling: "the people took me with great affection." And I will especially always remember the image of being able to celebrate the Eucharist with the spectacular view of the sea from the church, and that I always say and carry in my retina when I sadly return to Fuenlabrada. In my parish of Fuenlabrada I only see buildings and cars, here I see the sea full of life, and I live it as a gift from God. I also remember that some "godos" from Madrid, when I told them that I was coming to Lanzarote to a parish, told me: "I don't know how you are going to find yourself there", because the Canarians do not easily admit the peninsulars". "And when I arrived and shared life with you, I realized that not only was it not like that, but that the problem was theirs, of whoever comes here, from wherever they are, because the welcome is always guaranteed as long as you are willing to accept it," he stated.
The speaker maintains a very fluid relationship with Pope Francis, he told him that he had been chosen as the speaker of the San Pedro festivities in Mácher and he immediately told him that he gave his blessing to all the people of Mácher and agreed to write the prologue to his latest book.
The speaker ended by thanking all the people of Mácher for the welcome and affection that they have been giving him during these thirty-one years that he has been coming to Lanzarote, and also to the entire Corporation and festival committee of the Tías City Council for inviting him and being able to share one more afternoon with everyone. With a ¡Viva San Pedro! and to the town of Mácher the proclamation ended, receiving a strong and prolonged applause from the public and the mayor, José Juan Cruz Saavedra, presented him with a sculpture as a souvenir.
Then the trio "Rofe" formed by Rayco Hernández - Timple, Adrián Pérez - Guitar and Guacimara Montelongo - Solo Voice performed several songs ending their performance with the song El Talismán that was hummed by the public rewarding their performance with their applause. As tradition dictates in Mácher, all those present were invited with a wide assortment of canapés and homemade pastries, ending the day with the dance enlivened by the parranda El Golpito.
