On Tuesday, the Diocese of Madrid concluded the diocesan phase of the cause for beatification of the Servant of God Sebastián Gayá Riera, a Mallorcan priest and one of the three founders of the Cursillos in Christianity Movement (along with Eduardo Bonnín and Bishop Juan Hervás). The ceremony, held at the San Agustín School, marks the beginning of a new stage in the process, which will continue in Rome under the responsibility of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal José Cobo, Archbishop of Madrid, accompanied by the Archbishop of Seville, advisor to the OMCC and president of the Sebastián Gayá Foundation, Monsignor José Ángel Saiz Meneses; the Bishop of Alcalá de Henares and national chaplain of Cursillos de Cristiandad, Monsignor Antonio Prieto Lucena; the national president of the movement, Rosa María Murillo Fuentes; as well as representatives from numerous diocesan secretariats throughout Spain.
The process comprises nearly 27,000 pages and more than a hundred testimonies documenting the life and priestly ministry of Sebastián Gayá. Following the official conclusion of the diocesan phase, the documentation will be sent to the Vatican for review.
During his remarks, Cardinal Cobo recalled that the causes for sainthood seek to offer examples of Christian life for the entire Church. In this regard, he encouraged those present to view this time of waiting as an opportunity to continue growing in holiness: “We are left with the task of continuing to work toward the full realization of our baptism.”
For his part, Monsignor Saiz Meneses highlighted Gayá’s profound spirituality and his dedication to proclaiming the Gospel. He also recalled what he considered Gayá’s principal legacy: the constant call to preserve unity—an exhortation that the priest repeated to him on several occasions during the final months of his life.
The diocesan president of Cursillos de Cristiandad in Madrid, Eva Castrillo, emphasized that Sebastián dedicated his entire life to forming Christians capable of transforming their communities through the friendship and love of Christ. “Becoming a saint by sanctifying his brothers and sisters was the guiding principle of his entire life,” she affirmed, noting that this same passion for evangelization continues to inspire the movement today.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of the traditional De Colores, the symbol of the Cursillos de Cristiandad Movement, while the boxes containing all the documentation were prepared to begin their journey to Rome.
With the conclusion of the diocesan phase, the cause now enters its Roman stage. The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints will be responsible for studying all the documentation and discerning whether Sebastián Gayá’s heroic virtues can be officially recognized by the Church. Madrid thus brings to a close a decisive stage in a process that keeps alive the hope that the Mallorcan priest may one day be recognized as a new saint for the universal Church.
Prayer of Intercession for the Servant of God Sebastián Gayá
The official prayer of intercession is provided below in various languages:
- Spanish: https://fundacionsebastiangaya.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-01-23-Estampa-2023-OK.pdf
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