The auxiliary bishop of Madrid, José Antonio Álvarezdied in the early hours of October 1 to 2 after suffering a heart attack. He was 50 years old and had been auxiliary bishop of one of the largest dioceses in Christendom for just over a year.
The entire diocese is shocked by the death of an auxiliary bishop who was very well known and loved by the clergy of Madrid, especially because of his connection to the diocesan major seminary.
A life dedicated to the Diocese of Madrid
The website of the Archdiocese of Madrid lists the main milestones in the life of José Antonio Álvarez Sánchez. This native of Madrid had just turned 50 and was ordained a priest on June 18, 2000.
In these almost 25 years of priesthood, his work had been fully developed in the archdiocese of Madrid as parochial Vicar of Nuestra Señora de la Fuensanta (1999-2001); university chaplain at the School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Madrid (2000-2002); formator of the minor seminary and professor at the archiepiscopal college (2001-2005).
He was also chaplain of the Oblate Sisters of Christ Priest (2003-2008); personal secretary to Bishop César A. Franco Martínez as auxiliary bishop of Madrid (2005-2014); and formator at the major seminary of Madrid (2008-2015). From 2015 to 2024, he was rector of the major seminary of Madrid, a task he relinquished upon his appointment as auxiliary bishop of Madrid on April 23, 2024. He received the episcopal consecration on July 6, 2024.
Since then, his work has been focused on attending to the needs of the diocese of Madrid, which will bid farewell to its youngest auxiliary bishop, in a solemn manner, in the coming days.
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