Tenerife Church Moves Altar to Shop Window

It's an unusual move: from the church altar to a shop window. This is the reality for the San Juan Bautista church in San Juan de la Rambla, a town in northern Tenerife. Since early December, the local priest, Airan Expósito Hernández, has been holding church services in an old commercial building in the village that used to be a bazaar.

The church is undergoing a major renovation, forcing the congregation to relocate just a few meters away. They've moved into a large, empty space owned by local resident Noelia Luis Luis. Father Expósito believes the renovation of the 16th-century church, a true historical treasure, will take "about three years." He happily adds, "Until then, we'll be here."

Stepping inside the transformed old building, which was recently renovated and still has its large display windows, is quite striking. The 'Christ of Sorrows' statue stands proudly at the front, above a makeshift altar. From there, you can see the entire space, now filled with chairs and a few church pews. The priest says the parishioners were surprised by how spacious it felt when they first came in. "It didn't look this big when it was a bazaar," Father Expósito explains.

Despite this, the priest is already planning ahead. "For now, we fit comfortably, but we're considering a backup plan for special events like communions, Holy Week, or the San Juan patron saint festivals," he says. They use a calendar to organize everything needed for each celebration.

Besides the carved crucifix, the temporary church also holds a small baptismal font, a large nativity scene, and some smaller religious statues. But what about the rest of the church's valuable art? "Neighbors have kindly lent us halls, basements, garages, and other spaces, and the City Council has helped too, so everything is safely stored in different places," he clarifies, addressing a common question from parishioners.

The San Juan Bautista parish owns many valuable items. Father Expósito points out a catafalque – a grand, decorated structure used in churches for important funeral services – calling it "a very significant piece for our parish and unique in the Canary Islands."

San Juan de la Rambla's old town boasts significant architectural heritage, with the church being a prominent feature. Because of this, the priest describes the building's renovation as "expected. After 15 years, it was our turn in the Diocese of Tenerife's schedule for church renovations." He's no stranger to this process, having overseen a similar renovation at the Taganana church 13 years ago.

The entire San Juan Bautista community has shown remarkable adaptability to their new temporary home. The priest even designed a specific path for people to follow when approaching the altar for communion. Since the hall has several pillars, he always reminds everyone, especially newcomers or those who might be distracted, of the correct route to avoid trips and congestion. This is the only new routine they've introduced; the mass schedule remains unchanged.

Noelia Luis Luis learned that her town's priest needed a place to hold services during the church renovation from a friend who teaches catechism. "We had just renovated these premises, and they were empty," she explains. "I asked my father, who actually owns the building, if he'd be okay with us lending it out, and he agreed." She recalls that the space previously "sold everything from thread to furniture." Luis and Father Expósito reached an agreement "a week later."

It's nearly 5:00 PM, and Father Airan Expósito Hernández needs to leave to teach catechism. Afterwards, at 6:00 PM, he'll lead mass in Noelia Luis Luis's hall. While moving can often be difficult, in this instance, it's become a positive story, thanks to the support and faith of the entire San Juan de la Rambla church community. For now, they'll attend mass in a place where they once bought almost everything.