The Great Family of Faith

The parish is called to be much more than a place people visit simply to attend religious services and receive the sacraments. It is meant to become a true home for all: a space for encounter, support and sharing the experience of faith.

This is how José María Sánchez de Lamadrid, parish priest of Santo Domingo in Algete (Madrid), understands and puts this vision into practice. His community has become an example that can inspire many parishes in Spain and Latin America. His experience shows how, when a parish opens itself up to the realities of people's lives, parishioners cease to be mere recipients of the sacraments and become actively involved in a vibrant community.

Through prayer groups, sermons, gatherings, dinners and activities designed for all ages — children, young people, families, the elderly, the sick and those who feel distant from the Church — the parish of Santo Domingo has witnessed how God awakens a more participatory, personal and passionate faith. Children continue attending after their First Communion, young people find their place, and adults discover a more fulfilling way of experiencing life in the Church.

In The Great Family of Faith, Sánchez de Lamadrid shares a parish experience rooted in a simple yet powerful conviction: “There is a hunger for God.”