Father Federico Almenara Ramírez

29 January 1949 – 16 May 2020
Province of the Immaculate Conception, Spain

Federico Almenara Ramírez was born in Miguel Esteban, Toledo, on January 29, 1949. The son of Federico Almenara Checa and Ángela Ramírez Lara, he was baptized on February 4, 1949 in the Miguel Esteban Parish and confirmed on May 9, 1957.

Having finished his novitiate year, on September 13, 1975, he received the Franciscan habit and made Temporary Profession in the Church of San Diego in Madrid. He made his Solemn Profession on September 17, 1978 and received Minor Orders on September 19, 1978 in Madrid and the Diaconate in the Church of San Francisco de Asís in Madrid on October 4, 1978.

He was ordained a priest by the Bishop, Mons. Alberto Inhiesta, on January 10, 1982 in the Church of San Diego in Madrid.  He studied the humanities at La Porciúncula, obtaining the Higher Baccalaureate Degree, and attended the Philosophical-Theological Quinquennium at the Center for Theological Studies of Mallorca. He obtained a degree in Theology, specializing in Catechetical Pastoral Theology, at the University of Salamanca, on June 21, 1978.

After completing his priestly studies, he was assigned to Madrid in June 1976 to begin pastoral courses, residing in the Fraternity of the Colegio Raimundo Lulio. In October 1982, he was appointed Coadjutor of the Parish of La Piedad in Madrid.

During the 84-85 academic year, he resided “Extra Domus” in the city of Madrid.

In the Provincial Congregation of 1985, he was assigned as Coadjutor to the parish of Santo Niño in Cebu and in February 1986 he was appointed administrator of the fraternity and in July 1987, local minister and pastor.

In the 1993 Congregation, he was appointed Director of Raimundo Lulio College in Madrid and in the 1997 Congregation, he was assigned to the Fraternity of La Piedad. After four years, he is named Vicar of the Fraternity of San Francisco de Madrid and pastor of the parish. And in the Congregation of 2009, he was assigned, as Parochial Vicar, to the parish of San Diego. After four years, he is assigned to the fraternity of Raimundo Lulio, Madrid, as Vicar of the Parish of San Diego and responsible for the hostel-reception house. In the 2017 Congregation, he was assigned to the fraternity of San Francis of Assisi in Madrid as vicar of the parish and administrator of the fraternity.

Also, he was part of the “Culture and Faith” catechetical team, collaborating in the publication of religious formation textbooks for the first cycle of E.G.B. Directly, he prepared the 4th course. During this period, he very successfully engaged in outreach activities, giving numerous talks and conferences on catechetical topics, distinguished by their style and content.

Fr. Federico was an open and friendly person. This served to make him close in his apostolate. An activity to which he dedicated many years of his life was the preparation and realization of cultural trips and pilgrimages. It was precisely on his last pilgrimage to the Holy Land that he contracted the coronavirus, which after two long months of hospitalization, has led him to meet Sister Death on May 16, 2020 at the Infanta Leonor Hospital in Madrid. We ask God that in this last pilgrimage he has found the desired goal: an embrace with the Lord of Mercy and Love.