CEU celebrates its Prayer Breakfast with a heartfelt tribute to Carlos Ortiz

The San Pablo CEU University Foundation and the Catholic Association of Propagandists held their Prayer Breakfast this morning, which brought together more than one hundred people. This event, now in its third year, included a constant remembrance of Carlos Ortiz Sanchidrián, the CEU's area director of schools and director of CEU Sanchinarro School, who died in the Urda train accident.

The president of the ACdP, José Masip, welcomed the attendees, remembering in particular all those who died in the train accident, which deeply affected the CEU family, and also remembering the Foundation's director general, Javier Tello, who was injured in the accident. Masip reminded them that faith «cannot remain confined to our private lives» and that they had come that day «not so much to hear speeches as to hear testimonies.». 

The Apostolic Nuncio to Spain, Piero Pioppo, read the Gospel. He then led a reflection for the attendees, who came from diverse backgrounds in public and social life, education, and business—areas which, in his view, complement each other “for the common good of society.” Pioppo encouraged them to focus on God in the midst of each day and emphasized that joy “is experienced perfectly only by doing good.” Hope, he added, is sown from the love of God, because only in this way “can everything begin.”.

Following the Papal Nuncio, the President of the Senate, Pedro Rollán, took the floor, also remembering the victims of the Urda train accident and recalling his life's “journey of faith.” «Faith helps me remember that no responsibility makes us superior,» he stated.

Finding God in work and daily life

This year's testimonies were given by Carla Díez de Rivera, Javier Cascón and Manuel Martínez Sellés. 

Díez de Rivera, head of institutional relations for Aid to the Church in Need, with a familiar and almost personal prayer style, shared with the attendees the support of his faith and his life of dealing with God in his illness, his family and his work. 

For its part, The young Javier Cascón posed a simple question to the attendees: “How can it be that my brother, who lives in a country like mine, doesn’t have a home?””He then briefly and directly outlined the housing and employment project for the homeless that he has launched. Finally, the president of the Madrid Medical Association, Manuel Martínez Sellés, emphasized the dignity of life for all people and expressed his hope that Spain will recover from its current “commitment to death” and return to defending life from conception to natural death. 

The breakfast concluded with a joint prayer by the attendees and remarks by the Apostolic Nuncio, Piero Pioppo. This Prayer Breakfast, sponsored by the San Pablo CEU University Foundation and the Catholic Association of Propagandists, has been organized since 2024 within the framework of the Congress of Catholics and Public Life, which this year will take place between November 13 and 15 under the motto “America and Spain. The faith that unites us”.