ElDebate.com (10 January) wrote about Spanish priests in cities and remote mountain villages who are over 90.
In
the diocese of Getafe (Madrid), Don Fernando González, 90, is parochial
vicar of San Simón de Rojas (Móstoles) and counsellor of Catholic
Action in his parish. He continues to serve the Lord "with joy and
enthusiasm".
In the same Madrid municipality, Don Miguel Medina,
91, has spent almost seven decades in the parish of Nuestra Señora de la
Asunción. He is involved in pastoral work wherever he is asked, in the
daily celebration of Mass and the Sacrament of Confession.
Don
Joaquín Alía, 90, helps at Santa Sofía de Alcorcón (Madrid) with the
celebration of the Eucharist, including for the Neocatechumenal Way, and
with confessions. He visits the couples' group, the sick, the Bible
group and the elderly in their homes.
Don Ángel Matilla Castro,
90, is a parish priest from the diocese of Astorga (León). He has been
in charge of parishes in many villages and now regrets that 'I only
visit two'.
Don Guillermo Pons, 93, is a priest from the island
of Menorca. He still presides over the daily Eucharist and publishes
articles in various magazines and publications, as well as in the
collection Trifolium, dedicated to angelology, which is published in
France.
Don Francisco San José Palomar, 91, is "fully active" in
the diocese of Albacete, where he remains attached to the parish of Our
Lady of Fatima. He also regularly comments on the Sunday Gospel in the
diocesan Sunday bulletin. I am still active 'because my head works and
my feet carry me', he says.
In Lugo, Don José Sarandeses, 92, is
in charge of four parishes. He came to San Cristóbal de Borraxeiros in
1966 and has been the parish priest there ever since: "There used to be a
thousand people here, and now there are only 130," he says: "This is
happening in all the villages of Galicia. He still travels by car to get
to his villages: "I am still active because if I leave here, no priest
will be able to return to these villages".
Don Jesús Landa, 92,
is the parish priest of Gavín (Huesca diocese) and a dozen other
villages in the Pyrenees. There are two other active non-agenarian
priests in his diocese: Don Máximo Garcés, in Sos del Rey Católico and
its surroundings, and Don Emilio Navarro, in Uncastillo.
Don
Jesús González, 92, celebrates two Eucharists every week in the Museum
Chapel, which belongs to the parish of San Vicente Mártir in Seville.
Another
priest of the Archdiocese of Seville, Don Juan Cotán, 95, collaborates
with the parishes in his area in whatever they ask of him. He also
accompanies several communities on the Neocatechumenal Way and has just
travelled to Rome.
Don José Luis Fernández Polvorosa, 92, is in
charge of the parishes of Santa María de La Fresneda, San Miguel de
Barreda and San Cosme de Bobes (Archdiocese of Oviedo), which together
have almost 7,000 souls. "I take the car, I get it out of the garage and
I drive," he says.
He has no plans to retire: "God doesn't
retire... and neither does the devil," he says: "As long as I have a
minute of life and breath left, I want to dedicate it to the Lord."
#newsAsoqhxigjg