I first met Father Joseph Escribano (affectionately known as simply “Fr. Joe”) in 2014. From that moment forward, he played an important role in my spiritual life. He always made himself available for confession and always provided sound and comforting advice without compromising the truth. He supported my work by offering reflections on important issues I was researching, and he read many of my articles and purchased three of the books I authored. Our many conversations always pointed back to Christ, regardless of their seriousness. We also shared a love for tennis. When I posted photos from my time playing in Spain in 2022, he joked on Facebook that if we ever ended up playing, he might consider letting me win. His warmth made many of our interactions memorable.
He would always tell me to offer up my suffering to Christ, assuring me that none of my tribulations were in vain. He would always encourage me to keep fighting spiritually and say that even though I fell again, he emphasized the fact that I would pick myself up and come to confession to repent.
In 1961, Fr. Joe developed a growth between his lungs that doctors feared was cancerous. Prayers were offered through the intercession of Isidoro Zorzano, an Argentine and one of the earliest members of Opus Dei, known for seeking holiness in the ordinary rhythms of life. When the surgeons went in to operate, the growth had vanished. The disappearance left the medical team stunned. This moment of grace not only shaped and deepened Fr. Joe’s own faith, it also strengthened the faith of those who heard the story, myself included. It seemed to imbue his pastoral work with an added spiritual authority, quiet, and unmistakable.
Fr. Joe immigrated to Canada from Spain in 1959. In a tribute written by Opus Dei shortly after his death, we are told of the instrumental role in founding “the Work” (a term that is used by members and supporters of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei) in Canada, particularly in both Montreal and Ottawa. One of the qualities that stood out was humility. Undeniably, his life was one of servitude to Christ and others, exemplifying a shepherd tending to his flock. One of the qualities that I found most remarkable about Fr. Joe was his lightheartedness, even after serious theological discussions or moments of confessing matters of spiritual crises. He never made you feel shame, reminding us that while repentance is fundamental, shame can be a tool of the devil to dissuade us from confessing our sins. His humour was an example of his many pastoral gifts.
My final visit was in June 2023; there I witnessed a priest whose mind remained sound and his spirit dedicated to Christ, in spite of his declining health. His eyes were warm and at peace. According to the Opus Dei tribute, when asked if he wanted to go be with Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and St. Josemaría, he simply replied, “Oui.” This simple word told the story of his faith: always “yes” to his calling as a priest and as a faithful servant.
Yesterday, on the two-year anniversary of his passing (June 25, 2025), I attempted to visit his resting place but, based on the directions I received, was unable to locate his grave. Next time, another priest friend, Fr. Julio from Opus Dei, will accompany me so that I can finally make a pilgrimage of gratitude.
For those of us who knew him, we should continue to pray for him, as I have hope that he continues to pray for us. He led a life of sanctity, and I will always be deeply grateful for the grace of having walked a very brief part of life’s road with him.
