Manuel Espiña Gamallo

Category: Priest
Birth Date: 25th July 1933 (†28th february 2010)
Birth Place: Folgoso – Cerdedo (Pontevedra)
 Curriculum

After studying Primary Education with a private teacher in Folgoso and Presqueiras, he entered St Martin Pinario Seminary (Santiago) in 1945. In 1951, he entered Comillas University (Santander), where he studied Humanities and took a degree in Philosophy and Theology. On 29th March 1959, he was ordained as a priest in Comillas. From 1959 to 1962, he was the vicar of Santa María de Azongue (Betanzos). In 1962, he was nominated as spiritual director of Belvís Seminary in Santiago, where he abolished punishment for pupils who spoke Galician. In 1965, he got a canonry at the Collegiate Church of A Coruña and began to teach Latin, Greek and French in the Seminary – Hogar de Santa Margarita (A Coruña) and Religion at the Teaching School. From 1966 to 1999, he taught Catholic Theology and Didactics as well as Religion History in Faculty of Education Sciences (A Coruña).

 Work & Activities

He collaborated in the first complete translation of the Gospels into Galician with the publication of the book A palabra de Deus. In 1966, he collaborated in the first Mass in Galician at the Church of the Capuchin Sisters and in the first Galician missal with their partner Morente. As a result, they were awarded the first ‘Pedrón de Oro’ in 1968. Together with his pupils, he wrote the book Consellos in 1971. He was invited to be the president in the first Galician Conferences in Argentina and Uruguay in 1978 and 1981. On 4th January 1970, he started the section ‘Outeiro de San Xusto’ in the newspaper La Voz de Galicia. In 1969, he founded the Teacher Cultural Association and published the book Picariños. He also founded a book cooperative (CODELI).

 Other Interesting Aspects

Nowadays he is retired. Since 1978, he has been the president of Labaca Foundation and Paulino Medical Brotherhood. He is a member of Moncho Valcarce Brotherhood and secretary of CODELI. He also collaborates as a religious adviser in ‘Nuevo Hombre’ Community (it was founded in 1973). He always speaks Galician, his biggest satisfaction.