About Marcelo's Life,Mo. Celia Mendez Y Delgado and the history of the school

BLESSED MARCELO SPINOLA
"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."


 
Founder of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Divine Heart











Blessed Marcelo Spinola y Maestre (14 January 1835 - 20 January 1906) was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Seville.Marcelo Spinola Y Maestre was a very loving person. He was willing to sacrifice his life for Christ.
Marcelo Spínola was born on the island of San Fernando His parents were Juan Spínola y Osorno, Marquis of Spinola and Antonia Maestre y Osorno; they had eight children, of whom four died in infancy but four(4) of them survived : Soledad, Marcelo, Rafael and Rosario. He was baptized the following day  of San Fernando by the military by FR, Jose Carillo. Italy is were the Spinola came from and Belgium for the Maestre. Don Marcelo Spinola is the Grandfather of Marcelo, he was born in Genoa and was a Lieutenant General of the Royal Army. Don Benito Antonio Spinola, a Genoese, was the commander-in-chief of the vessel named "Good Counsel", who's serving under the king of spain, King Ferdinand VI gave him the title "Marquis of Spinola". In Italian Spinola mean "Thorn" was after the thron in the crown of the lord.

 

Education

Marcelo learned to read and write at home. He did his  studies in the school of San Fernando, Guided by the  priests from  then  he studied Latin, Spanish and French grammar and basic philosophy . and he studied physics,chemistry and natural history. And Marcelo took up an extend course which was a kind of orientation course for further university studies.

Early life

He opened a law office in Huelva, offering free services to the poor. He decided to follow his sacerdotal vocation on the advice of Canon Diego Herrero y Espinosa de los Monteros and began to study theology at home.

Priesthood

 

Monsignor Diego Herrero was a very good adviser of Marcelo, helped marcelo and recognized his christianity to the priesthood.
He was confirmed on 21 March 1864. He did pastoral work in the archdiocese of Seville. In May 1863, he wore the clerical cassock as a seminarian for his first time. Humility was his companion of his life and the most constant trait of his personality. After so many years, finally, he became a priest. June 3 1864 Marcelo's first mass ; his preacher was Fr. Cayetano at 8:30AM the time of the mass was also the time when Rafael was dying in the battle of Santo Domingo, Lola Martinez Peris is the one who carry the sad news to the family, the young fiancé of Captain Spinola. His first Requiem was for his brother. As a Parish Priest of San Lorenzo, Marcelo used to open his church at dawn and sit in the confessional box so he could listen to confessions patiently and spending time for many hours, he was a very well known preacher and a good confessor any many people from other place would like to come and listen to his words and  confessed to him. The box was named as a "The healing pool of Seville". “El Correo de Andalucia” the newspaper that he made. In 1881 he was elected Auxiliary Bishop of Seville, In 1896, he became the archbishop of Seville, and In 1905 he begged  under the  heat of the sun in the streets of Seville in order  to help the victims. For this great love for the people of Seville, gave him the title “The Beggar Archbishop” On December 11, 1905 Pope St. Pius X dignified him to become a cardinal.

Death

 

He was created cardinal. He died in 1906 in Seville. On 24 January 1913, his remains were transferred to a new mausoleum built in the chapel of Dolores in the same cathedral.
He was beatified on 29 March 1987 by Pope John Paul ll.

 Mother Celia Mendez Y Delgado's Life with Marcelo

Mother Celia Mendez Y Delgado

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

            On July 26, 1885, Marcelo Spinola together with Mo. Celia Mendez Y Delgado, founded the Esclavas del Divino Corazon or known as the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Divine Heart. They said that the Love for God is expressed in the love for people. Mo. Celia Mendez also experienced this with total truth and gave wholeheartedly her life, time, strength and all her material goods to the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Divine Heart whose apostolate is to announce the personal love of Christ through the apostolate of education. Mendez is also known as the "Providence of the Poor" and lived out through her life her motto: "Will of my God, I love you."
      
      

 

 

The History of Marcelo Spinola School(MSS)

  Marcelo Spinola School or MSS was founded at Don Andres, Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. With the motto "To serve is to reign", MSS continues to be an educative community. The Spinola Sisters (Handmaids of the Divine Heart), totally committed themselves to work with love and dedication in the precious task of forming the heart and the mind of the young. They raised their consciousness of their dignity as God's children. The school aims to empower the students in the transfomation of a more humane society.  They offer services "equally to all" and the school promotes justice,peace and solidarity as our father founder had those values.