Santiago Matheu Tirse

Santiago Matheu Tirse was a friend to many, an apostle of youth in the Diocese of Holguín and later, in the Archdiocese of Miami, Spiritual Director of the Cursillos de Cristiandad and a recognized voice in radio and television media.

Born in the town of Torriente, in Jaguey Grande, Matanzas, a town where his childhood and adolescence took place. At the beginning of his youth he moved to the province of Holguín, where he began community life in the Parish of San Isidoro as a member of Catholic Action. He subsequently entered the Seminary "San Basilio Magno" in El Cobre where he studied the Humanities cycle, which was interrupted on several occasions by calls to perform work in the Youth Column of the Centenary.

At the beginning of the 1970-71 school year he transferred to the Seminary "San Carlos y San Ambrosio" in Havana where he studied Philosophy and Theology. He was ordained as a priest in the 1975-76 school year.

He received his Presbyterial ordination on October 24, 1975 as a member of the presbytery of Santiago de Cuba, until the creation of the diocese of Holguín in 1979, of which he was its founder under the patronage of San Isidoro.

In that province his pastoral work was carried out in the communities of San Andrés, Banes, Antilla, Báguanos and Tacajó. Among his challenges, from his accumulated experience, was that of encouraging young people amid problems and difficulties, encouraging them to grow in faith.

Father Matheu decided to settle in Miami in 1994, where he served in parishes such as Santa Agatha, Inmaculada Concepción, Santa Cecilia, Mother of Christ and Santa Catalina de Siena. Likewise, he was director of "Cursillos de Cristiandad" of the Archdiocese of Miami, and Spiritual Director at the National Sanctuary of the Virgin of Charity.

The priest wrote several books, including: "José, María y la Navidad", an urgent call to keep Christmas alive, aimed at preventing at all costs consumerism and the continuous proposals of society from making people forget that God became incarnate in the innocence of a child to bring salvation.

His work "Personas y personajes" is a book soaked in memories that reflects the reality of the human being in itself; although it frames a specific era, its humanistic character makes it a timeless text.

"Cuaderno para la vida", a guide for the path, is a lamp in life from where "we can illuminate our steps".

Each September 8th, the day Cuban Catholics pay tribute to their patroness, the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, Father Matheu shared his reflections with listeners in Cuba.

He worked in the news coverage of the Apostolic visits to Cuba of Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI, as well as the election of his successor, Pope Francis.

Católica Mundial Radio, Radio Paz, television and print media were also platforms he used to evangelize.

He exercised his ministry in Holguín, Cacocum, San Andrés and Banes from where he also served Antilla, Tacajó and Báguanos, encouraging diocesan pastoral work and especially youth ministry.

He participated in the Cuban Ecclesial Reflection (REC: 1981-85) prior to the Cuban National Ecclesial Meeting (ENEC: 1986) in which he also participated.

In 1994 he left Cuba and joined 'pro tempore' the Archdiocese of Miami where he also published several books accessible on Amazon.

One of them, 'Personas y Personajes' narrates real stories of real people with their sorrows and their joys, told with Father Matheu's warmth and his fine sense of humor.