As a family, with hearts filled with reverence and hope in eternal life, we bid farewell to Father Rafael Fernández, one of the great communicators and educators of Schoenstatt of our time. A native of Chile and a member of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Fathers, he created the channel “Schoenstatt Vivo“. He authored numerous books on the Movement, written in Spanish and translated into other languages.
A legacy that transcends
He passed away on the eve of Ash Wednesday, February 17, in Bellavista, Chile, at the age of 92. His passage through this world leaves a deep and indelible mark in various areas of our Movement:
Youth Educator: He formed multiple generations of young people, transmitting to them, with fire and wisdom, the ideal of the “New Person.”
Promoter of the Family Branch: He was a key guide for married couples and consistently believed that family holiness is the foundation of a new culture.
Fruitful Writer: Through his numerous books and publications, he delved deeply into Schoenstatt’s pedagogy and spirituality, leaving behind an intellectual and spiritual treasure that will continue to nourish future generations.
Father Rafael knew how to translate the immense richness of our spirituality into clear, accessible, and practical words. Through his videos, he gave us, via technology, the heart of Schoenstatt: The Covenant of Love, trust, and practical faith in Divine Providence, and the wise and paternal pedagogy of our founder. A tireless priest and apostle, he will be remembered for his dedication and for the work of forming many Schoenstatters throughout his life.
“He taught us to love Schoenstatt more”
Father Rafael had the gift of making the profound understandable, of bringing the lofty down to earth without diminishing its loftiness. He was a bridge between generations, between continents, between the founder’s thinking and the concrete life of today. Many of us came to love Schoenstatt more by listening to him; many of us understood our mission better because of his clarity.
He was an educator in the Schoenstatt sense: he not only transmitted ideas, but also formed hearts. With childlike loyalty to our Father and Founder, he knew how to creatively appropriate his heritage and offer it to today’s world with courage and simplicity. In times of noise and superficiality, he had his finger on the pulse of the times, but always with his ear to the heart of God.
We pray for his eternal rest and for the community of Schoenstatt Fathers, whom we accompany with affection.
His funeral will be on Thursday, the 19th, at 11:00 am. in the Church of the Holy Spirit, at the Bellavista Shrine in Chile.
