I am 49 years old, I live in Jerez Fra (Cadiz) in the south of Spain, I am single although I belong to a large family and we are very close. I work in a large national training company.
My being a lay Marianist, began when I was 19 years old, and I have been on this path of following Jesus in the style of Mary, of incarnating God in the world for 30 years. In these years, in some of its moments, I have been doing some service to the CLM.
To mention that of Provincial Responsible of the Marianist Fraternities of Madrid (you know that Spain is divided into three organizations), were also moments of getting to know better the Marianist Family of Spain.
Another of the services for which I have prepared myself for more than three years is that of Fraternity Advisor, remember that in Spain we call the CLM Fraternities, and after that I have been advising a community for more than 8 years, it is not of young people as many of you may have imagined, it is of young at heart, the average age is 78 years old.
I think it is important that all Marianists (lay people included) are present in the Church and that is why I am a Confirmation catechist. It is a GIFT to be able to be close to young people to know them, love them and serve them.
These last years I have been at your service as European Responsible, I thank the one who was my country responsible in 2018 for asking me to be available for it. It has been four years to which I have dedicated time and much love, with moments of more lights than others but always ready to listen as Mary did.
And now what? Well, as you can imagine I started the discernment before being proposed since I was in the International Team, for this I relied on the European Team that has accompanied me throughout these four years. And yes, I am willing to continue with this service, it has been again Spain-Madrid who have proposed me as a candidate.
I asked myself many questions: do you have time for it? are you qualified for it? are you the right person? what about languages? another four years and give up other things? are you living in the right vital moment for it? There were many doubts that came to my mind, but my heart, my heart's faith told me to go ahead and continue to complicate your life.
Aspects that I would like to highlight of the functions that seem to me the most relevant to take into account as a possible European manager:
· To be a nexus of union between all the countries, the person who must build bridges between those responsible for Europe and the CLM of the world.
· To be a link of union and communication among all the members of the Marianist Family, this is a task that Pope Francis calls us all Charismatic Families to be and to be in the world as a FAMILY.
· To be a link of union, to be a bridge in the Church, to be visible in the Universal Church. We can never forget that above all we are followers of Christ in the world. As lay people we are inserted in the world as leaven and as Marianist lay people we must not forget that we are here to incarnate God in the world as Mary did.
Although some of you already knew me a little, it seems important to me to write these lines so that we can continue to know each other. See you at the International Meeting in Madrid and if you want to know more about me do not hesitate to come.
