With deep sadness, the Augustinian Recollect Order has learned of the death today, November 20, 2024, of Monsignor José Luis Azcona Hermoso, who leaves a void that is difficult to fill and an indelible mark on the Church, which he served in an outstanding and committed manner in the pastoral mission and in defense of human rights that he carried out in the Brazilian Amazon.
A legacy of service in the Amazon
Msgr. José Luis Azcona was born in Pamplona (Spain) on March 9, 1940, but he lived with his family in the Navarrese town of Dicastillo and completed his secondary education in San Sebastian. He entered the Order of Augustinian Recollects and was professed on September 22, 1961 in Monachil (Granada). In the capital of this province he studied theology. He was ordained priest on December 21, 1963 in Rome. He continued his studies in Moral Theology until he obtained his doctorate in 1965 at the Institute of Moral Theology of the Redemptorists (Alphonsian) of the Lateran University of Rome.
The most important positions he held during his ecclesiastical career were, among others, those of prior of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. Province of St. Thomas of Villanova (1975-1981), vice-master of novices in Desierto de la Candelaria, Colombia (1982) and master of novices in Los Negrales, Madrid (1983). In 1985 he went to the mission of Marajó, Brazil. Two years later, on April 5, 1987, he was ordained bishop of the Prelature of Marajó. There, he tirelessly led the work of evangelization and worked to protect the most vulnerable communities in the region. He also stood out for his fight against human exploitation, human trafficking and the abuses faced by the inhabitants of the Amazon.
United in prayer
During his mission, Bishop José Luis Azcona took risks and faced many threats because of his courageous stand against injustice. In fact, his promotion of social justice and care for the environment made him a model of Christian commitment. The order and the Church remember with gratitude his life of prayer and service. We ask all to join in prayer for his eternal rest, confident that his legacy and apostolic witness will continue to inspire many in the pursuit of the Kingdom of God.
You can read this 2012 interview with Bishop José Luis and watch this 2022 interview.