Marcelo Spínola y Maestre

After his ordination, Marcelo Spínola first served as chaplain of the church of La Merced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, then as parish priest of San Lorenzo in Seville from 1871 to 1879. There, he engaged in intense pastoral activity, spending long hours in the confessional, visiting the sick, and actively involving himself with local brotherhoods, notably that of Jesús del Gran Poder.

In 1879, he was appointed canon of the Cathedral of Seville. On December 16, 1880, Pope Leo XIII appointed him auxiliary bishop of Seville (with the title of Bishop of Milos). He received episcopal consecration on February 6, 1881.

On November 10, 1884, he was appointed Bishop of Coria (Cáceres). It was in this diocese that he founded, on July 26, 1885, with Celia Méndez y Delgado (in religion Mother María Teresa of the Heart of Jesus), the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Divine Heart (Esclavas del Divino Corazón). The primary mission of this religious institute is the glorification of the Heart of Jesus through the Christian education of young girls of all social classes, in order to form their hearts and minds.

In 1886, he was transferred to the Diocese of Málaga, a region then affected by a severe economic crisis. There, he founded a free soup kitchen and a shelter for workers.

On December 2, 1895, he was promoted to Archbishop of Seville. Concerned with social justice and truth, he founded the Catholic daily newspaper El Correo de Andalucía in 1899. During the terrible drought of 1905, he did not hesitate to beg himself from door to door in the streets of Seville to feed the starving population, which earned him the nickname of the "begging archbishop" (arzobispo mendigo). He was also a senator of the Kingdom of Spain, where he vigorously defended Catholic education.

On December 11, 1905, Pope Saint Pius X created him a cardinal. King Alfonso XIII presented him with the cardinal's biretta on December 31, 1905. However, Marcelo Spínola died suddenly a few days later, on January 19, 1906, in Seville, before he could receive his cardinalatial title in Rome.

The reputation for holiness of Marcelo Spínola, already immense during his lifetime, spread rapidly after his death. His mortal remains were placed in the Cathedral of Seville, in the Chapel of los Dolores, where his tomb became a place of pilgrimage. During his visit to Seville in 1982, Pope John Paul II prayed specifically before his tomb.

The diocesan information process for his beatification opened in the mid-20th century. On September 24, 1983, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thus proclaiming him venerable.

To allow for his beatification, a miracle is required. The cause presents the scientifically inexplicable healing of a nun from his own congregation (the Handmaids of the Divine Heart). After the favorable examination by the medical commission and the theological commission, the decree approving this miracle is promulgated by the Holy See.

On March 29, 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrates the beatification ceremony of Marcelo Spínola y Maestre in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, in the presence of thousands of Spanish pilgrims. His liturgical memorial is set for January 19, the day of his birth into heaven.

The spirituality of Marcelo Spínola is deeply Eucharistic and centered on the Heart of Christ, the source of all pastoral charity. For him, the priest must be a man of the altar, entirely given to God and to souls. He loved to repeat this maxim concerning the formation of future priests:

"Virtue and science are the two things that must be taught preferably to those who aspire to the priesthood, for science without virtue puffs up and does not edify, and virtue without science edifies but does not instruct."

His legacy continues today through the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Divine Heart (and the Spínola Foundation), which manages numerous colleges, university residences, and educational works in Spain, as well as in Angola, the Philippines, Venezuela, Japan, and other countries. The daily newspaper El Correo de Andalucía, which he founded, has also left its mark on the history of the Andalusian press.