In the days after entering the monastery, Raphael wrote: “I sigh all day for Christ (…). The monastery is going to be two things for me. First: a corner of the world where I can unhindered praise God night and day; and, second, a purgatory on earth where I can purify myself, perfect myself and become holy. I give you my will and my good wishes. Let Him do the rest.”
The Spanish Civil War and the diabetes that afflicted him forced him to leave the monastery on three occasions, also giving rise to subsequent re-entry. Being left out of the cloister was not an option for Arnaiz. He knew his center and his place, and if the circumstances were not favorable, it mattered little. When things became more favorable, he always returned to where he was called by God.
“Brother Rafael,” as those who knew him called him, died on April 26, 1938 in the convent infirmary, at the age of 27, after suffering from a diabetic coma.
Receive the main news from ACI Prensa by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channels today: