CURIA GENERALIZIA MARIANISTI
Via Latina 22 - 00179 Roma, Italia
Tel. (39-06) 704 75 892 - Fax (39-06) 700 0406
E-mail: gencomm@smcuria.it

Rome, January 20, 2005

Death Notice No. 4 (To all Unit Administrations)

The Province of Zaragoza recommends to our fraternal prayers our dear Brother, EMILIO ORTEGA SEBASTIÁN, priest, who died in the service of the Blessed Virgin Mary on January 17, 2005, at Zaragoza, Spain, in the 77th year of his age and the 61st of his religious profession.

Emilio Ortega Sebastián was born on March 18, 1928 in Castrillo de Murcia (Burgos), the son of Julio and Natalia. He was of the “old Castillian” type, calling things by what they are: “Bread is bread and wine is wine.” On February 12, 1941 he went to the Postulate in Escoriaza. He began his novitiate in Elorrio on September 11, 1943 and made his first profession at the same place on September 21, 1944. After his profession he went to Segovia and then to Carabanchel Alto (Madrid) for his scholasticate studies.;

He held the following academic degrees:
- Bachelor from the University of Madrid in July of 1947
- Licentiate in Theology from the University of Fribourg in July of 1957
- Licentiate in Philosophy from the University of Valencia in September of 1958
- Licentiate in English Philology from the University of Zaragoza in September of 1977
at a somewhat advanced age, realizing he could be of greater service to the school.

He lived out his religious life doing various services in the following places:
- 1947 -1953: at Colegio Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Valencia. On April 12, 1950, he made his perpetual
profession in Zaragoza.
- 1953-1957: a seminarian in Fribourg, having been ordained to the priesthood in 1956.
- 1957-1962: once again at the Pilar school in Valencia
- 1962-1964: at the Postulate in Escoriaza.
- 1964-1967: at Colegio Santa Maria in Vitoria
- 1967-1969: at the student Residence in Vitoria
- 1969-1971: Director at the school in Valencia
- 1971-1984: at Colegio Santa Maria del Pilar in Zaragoza
- 1984-1993: at the S.M. publishing house in Madrid, and Director of the community from 1985-1993.
- 1993-1994: at St. Lawrence College in Dublin, Ireland
- 1994-2000: at the school in Zaragoza again; Director of the community from 1998.
- 2000-2001: in the community at Velez Blanco and pastor at Cañadas. His generosity led him to accept this
assignment, different from what he was accustomed to, at the age of 72.
- 2001-2005: at the school in Zaragoza until his death on January 17 at 2:00 in the afternoon.

Emilio was an accommodating, enthusiastic and many-faceted person. Throughout his life he was engaged in many different activities and things he liked. He did everything with his whole heart, giving of himself entirely. People liked his frankness and good humor which enabled him to make many friends. Toward the end of his life he turned his enthusiasm to the art of writing and to the pastoral services asked of him. He has left hundreds of poems, novels for children, biographies of founders, letters congratulating students and school per-sonnel, and from friends in Spain, Ireland and the United States. He also left many iron sculptures. He had a great love for the Province and offered his services to write the biographies of the Brothers who had died, including that of Timoteo Soto who had died a few days before. Death came suddenly as he was returning from visiting the classes of the young children at the school as he frequently did. He had started to present the person of Fr. Chaminade during the “Chaminade Week” which the school in Zaragoza celebrates.

May the Lord and our mother, the Virgin of the Pillar, receive him, and may he rest in peace.