Suffering from lymph node cancer, Claudia couldn’t find a way to keep her little girl alive. Doctors gave up on her, the family recounted in the book “A Trinitarian Apostle for Lima” by Father Rafael Pascual Salustiano, published last May by the Trinitarian Secretariat of Salamanca, Spain.

“Father Rafael,” as he was known by the residents of the vacant lots of Chacra Ríos Norte, began his journey back to the Father’s house in 2011, after 70 years of priesthood and 50 years of work in Peru.

In Peruvian lands, the residents of the “Rescate” human settlement walk with faith, “Always, firm and forward!”, as the Spanish priest, Rafael Pascual Salustiano, a Trinitarian missionary, taught them.

Walking alongside the poorest led him to embrace his mission, which he began at the age of nine. In his daily life, he strove to become a “little pawn of God.” He was committed to doing good.

A life of mission 

Children, young people, and the elderly would often come out to meet him when they saw him arrive with his black briefcase, always leaning on his friendly cane. He wasn’t in a hurry, but his gait wasn’t slow, but rather firm. Whoever was with him had to be quick, as his long strides shortened distances.

On each of his visits, he touched the pain of the sick. He shared the need for comfort of those who were going through times of suffering. Despite his 89 years of age, he never ceased to accompany, listen, encourage, and invite everyone he met to encounter Jesus. This is how the residents of the area still remember him.

In his mission, “Father Rafel” restored hope with charity. He chose to be a Trinitarian priest, but also a missionary and martyr. In his homilies, the Trinitarian priest reflected on how love redeems the captive, through the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Present in the hearts of the redeemed

“Father Rafael celebrated the Eucharist and community prayer,” recount the seminarians who cared for him in his final days. His strength to carry on is the light at the end of the tunnel. It is the light reflected in his actions. It is this Trinitarian charism that inspires many students and teachers of the order.

In 2021, the postulator general of the Trinitarian Order at the Vatican in Rome, Father Javier Carnerero, introduced his cause for beatification. The need then arose to compile the testimonies of his work through a documented biography, which was commissioned by the Spanish priest Ángel García Rodríguez.

During an exclusive interview with Periodismo Consentido, Spanish religious leader Juan Pujana, head of the Trinitarian Secretariat, provided details of the evangelization work carried out since 1960 through the publishing of books by this publishing house.

How did the Trinitarian Secretariat emerge in Salamanca, Spain?

The Trinitarian Secretariat, also known as the publishing house, is an institution of Trinitarians in Spain, born out of the need to disseminate theological knowledge and devotion to the great mystery of the Holy Trinity. It is the only religious publishing house that publishes the largest number of books on the Holy Spirit.

“The Theology of Tenderness,” “Koinonia,” “Agape,” “The World and God,” and “Thinking About God” are some of their collections. How do these publications contribute to evangelization in these times?

In our editions, we present the God of love, revealed by Jesus Christ, as narrated by Saint John in his First Letter. Given the scarcity of preaching in evangelization following the Second Vatican Council, we present the various aspects, as well as the demands of our faith in the Holy Trinity. They also serve as a tool for the formation of seminarians, priests, and all those whose mission it is to evangelize and bring the mystery of God closer to the people.

Do you think that tenderness as a dimension of love is necessary in preaching, for evangelization? 

There has been much talk about God the Trinity since the pontificate of Saint John Paul II, but very little about tenderness, as if there were a “certain modesty” in speaking of it. When it is a fundamental trait of God, always devoted to us, his children. Pope Francis highlighted this “theology of tenderness” during the year dedicated to God’s mercy. He asked that we not silence this dimension of God’s love; on the contrary, he encourages us to highlight it “like a father who cares for his children,” as seen in the parable of the prodigal son.

A living example of this tenderness is the work of the Spanish Trinitarian Rafael Pascual, who carried out his mission in Peru. His biography for the Trinitarian family in Spain was published a few months ago. What is the significance of this first edition?

This biography arose as a result of the decision to introduce his cause for beatification. He cared for the sick, the marginalized, and the displaced in prisons in Peru. After 20 years of priesthood alongside Father Rafael Pascual, the religious Ángel García Rodríguez compiled the testimonies of those who knew the missionary born in Torregamones, Zamora, in the land of Cervantes. These testimonies about his holiness summarize his apostolate in the region. He is a “Trinitarian father” who leaves a mark on the hearts of those who know his mission.

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