The parish church of Santiago Apóstol in Santiago de la Ribera

The Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol, Santiago de la Ribera

Although Santiago de la Ribera is a bustling and popular resdential tourism area, the town centre seen today is relatively young, having grown from a collection of simple fishermen's dwellings to a substantial community within the last 120 years. In 1988 it celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Click here to read more background information and the history of Santiago de la Ribera.

The Torre Mínguez farm estate is officially recognised as the origin of the pedanía of Santiago de la Ribera. It was built by Antonio Lisón, a governor of the city of Murcia, and was passed down through various generations of his family. One of those to inherit it was Teresa Sandoval y Mena, who married José María Barnuevo y Rodrigo de Villamayor de Ulloa, a dignitary in the Order of Santiago.

The couple made frequent visits to Torre Mínguez, and had ambitious plans for it: firstly, they wanted to turn it into a hotel, and secondly, they intended to sub-divide the land and enable tenants to build family homes on each of the resulting plots. Out of these plans grew the new settlement of Santiago de la Ribera in 1888, the name being derived from José María Barnuevo’s affiliation to the Order of Santiago.

The first stages of the urbanization of Santiago de la Ribera were closely overseen by the Barnuevo-Sandoval family. Their aim was not to create a large community immediately, but to rationalize the way in which the locality might expand in the future, laying down the basic guidelines for future urban development. Many families from Murcia were attracted to the facilities offered by the family, as well as by the privileged location, the climatic conditions and the easy access to existing communications networks, the result being that numerous holiday homes were built by the upper classes of Murcia, turning Santiago into a thriving resort.

In 1905 plans a was opened and next to it the first church of Santiago Apóstol was built. The development of Santiago de la Ribera was now unstoppable and by the middle of the 20th century the existing chapel became too small to cope with the growing population.

The church was enlarged with the addition of a new chapel dedicated to the Virgen del Carmen, the protector of fishermen, and on 1st July 1968, the church became a parish within the diocese of Cartagena. Just three days later the paperwork was signed to begin construction of the new church and in 1969 Salvador Barnuevo ceded the land on which it was to be located. 

On 7th May 1970, the new church was inaugurated.

The church remains a fundamental core of religious activity in Santiago de la Ribera, and is the departure point for both the Romería of San Blas (Click Romería of San Blas) in February, which connects with the Chapel of San Blas on the site location of the oldest place of worship in the municipality of San Javier, and the Romería of the Virgen del Carmen, linked to the chapel of El Carmen in the district of the same name.

Mass times in the Parroquia of Santiago de la Ribera:

Monday to Friday 7.00 pm

Saturday 7.00 pm

Sunday 12 midday and 7.00 pm

Mass in other churches within the parish of Santiago

Saturday 6.00pm Chapel of El Carmen

Sunday 10.30am, Chapel of San Blas.

Location

Parroquía Santiago Apóstol, 

Calle O'Shea 2, 30720 Santiago de la Ribera

The church is at the southern end of Calle O'Shea, on the corner with Calle de Zarandona.

Click for map, Calle O´Shea, Santiago de la Ribera.

Click for more information about the San Javier municipality: SAN JAVIER TODAY