Franciscan Fraternity of Hope

Founder and Minister Custos

The history of the Franciscan Fraternity of Hope is closely bound to the inner journey of its founder, Br. +Mario, a brother who learned to listen to God in silence, in what is small, and in what remains hidden. His spiritual path, shaped by simplicity and trust, matured during his years in the United Kingdom, where he discovered that true renewal is born from humility and daily fidelity to the Gospel.

Originally from Madrid, Spain, he was baptised and confirmed in the Catholic faith, growing up in a home where belief was lived with naturalness and joy. His First Holy Communion took place at the Hermitage of Peña Sacra in Manzanares el Real (Madrid), and he was confirmed at the Parish of Santísimo Cristo de la Victoria (Madrid).

He first sensed the call to a life of service when he was nine years old, during his first Holy Mass, when he felt a deep desire to do what the priest was doing: to preside at the Eucharist. This early intuition matured over the years and eventually led him to enter the Franciscan way of life, where his vocation deepened through prayer, fraternity, and study. As a professed Franciscan, he was ordained to the sacred priesthood in 2020, and in 2024 he received episcopal consecration at St Ethelburga’s in London.

Through this journey, he came to understand that the Spirit was inviting him to follow Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis: with a heart that is poor, fraternal, and filled with hope. His way of serving as founder recalls figures such as Brother Roger of Taizé: an authority without imposition, born of listening, closeness, and fidelity to the Gospel. He never sought to establish a work of his own, but to respond sincerely to the call of the Spirit, who led him to create a space where hope could be lived and shared. Thus the fraternity was born: not as a human project, but as a gift received.

Alongside his spiritual journey, Br. +Mario is a theologian and historian. He completed his theological studies at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of Salamanca, and his historical formation at the University of Burgos. These two paths—faith and history—shape a reflective and discerning approach to the life of the fraternity, with attention to signs, to the living tradition, and to the depth of communal processes.

His academic and theological background, united with his pastoral experience, becomes in his service as Minister Custos a way of safeguarding the fraternity’s charism with discernment, serenity, and vision. He has written books and articles that reflect his desire to illuminate the relationship between faith, human experience, and the search for meaning.

Within the fraternity, this same passion for faith and reflection becomes a way of guiding brothers towards a hope that is embodied, humble, and transformative. His witness continues to inspire the community, reminding us that true fruitfulness is born from the silence in which God speaks, from trust that does not rely on one’s own strength, and from the humble fidelity that sustains hope. His example remains a guiding light on our common path and a reminder that hope always has the final word.