Spanish bishop will give spiritual exercises in Cuba

The Bishop of Palencia (Spain), Bishop Mikel Garciandía Goñi, is traveling to Cuba today to teach, along with two other priests, three rounds of Spiritual Exercises to the priests of the Archdiocese of San Cristóbal de La Habana.

According to informs the diocese of Palenciathe priests accompanying the Spanish bishop are Father Alfonso Garciandía Goñi, brother of the prelate, and Father Jesús Rodríguez Torrente, responsible for the Advisory Service for the Offices for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

The spiritual retreats will take place from January 13 to 17 and respond to a commitment made by Bishop Garciandía before being appointed to pastor the Diocese of Palencia.

In addition to offering meditations to the local clergy of Havana, the prelate, taking advantage of his stay in Cuba, will give a conference on January 17 to members of different Christian confessions on the island that will serve to inaugurate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. which this year has a special accent as we celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

Mons. Garciandía was ordained a priest in the Archdiocese of Pamplona and Tudela and has a degree in Philosophy and Letters from the University of Navarra and in Fundamental Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he also received his doctorate.

In October 2023, his appointment as Bishop of Palencia was announced. ON January 20, 2024, he received episcopal consecration in the Cathedral of Palencia. He is a member of the Episcopal Commission for Evangelization, Catechesis and Catechumenate of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.