José María Galant Valero is Guardamar del Segura’s new parish priest

Guardamar del Segura has a new parish priest as of Saturday 10 October. José María Galant Valero has arrived in Guardamar to take charge of the parish of San Jaime Apóstol, which is closely linked to the town’s religious life and traditions.

His appointment was officially announced by the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante on 24 July, as part of the periodic changes of assignment among the diocese’s priests.

Galant Valero comes from the neighbouring town of Rojales, where he had been parish priest at the church of San Pedro Apóstol since 2023. He is therefore no newcomer to the area, but a priest who knows the Vega Baja and its traditions well.

A career spanning several parishes

Before his time in Rojales, José María Galant carried out some of his pastoral work in Elche, specifically at the parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, where he spent several years. He was also assigned to La Aparecida and Rincón de Bonanza, districts of Orihuela.

His career has also included serving as archpriest of Elche III, as well as his involvement with the brotherhoods and confraternities of Rojales’s Holy Week.

A new chapter for San Jaime

His arrival also marks the departure of Efrem Mira Pina, who has led the Guardamar parish since September 2017 and is now returning to Villena as archpriest and parish administrator of the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes.

The new parish priest takes up his responsibilities at a particularly significant time for Guardamar, coinciding with celebrations in honour of the town’s patron saint, the Virgen del Rosario.

Beyond religious services, the parish of San Jaime maintains close ties with many of the town’s traditions and organisations, from Holy Week to the local patron saint festivities.

José María Galant Valero thus begins his time at the head of Guardamar’s parish community.