José Fuentes Cano

Father José Fuentes Cano was born on February 22, 1961, in Blanca (Murcia) Spain, in a family of five members. His parents José Fuentes Box and Candelaria Cano Rojo had, by the grace of God, three children of whom Father José was the first-born and only son. The town where he was born recognized him in 2001 with the title of Favorite Son.

After finishing his primary studies, he decided to enter the “San José” Minor Seminary in Murcia, where he completed his Baccalaureate studies.

Once this stage of training was completed, he moved to the "San Fulgencio" Major Seminary in Murcia, which at that time was in the city of Granada, where he remained until the time of his priestly ordination and where he completed his theological studies.

On September 7, 1986, at the age of 25, José Fuentes received priestly ordination through Bishop Javier Azagra Labiano, Bishop of the Diocese of Cartagena, surrounded by all his loved ones and friends.

Already a diocesan priest, Father José exercised between 1986 and 1988 the function of the trainer of seminarians at the “San José” Minor Seminary in Murcia. At that time he was part of the Presbyteral Council of the Diocese of Cartagena, work that he carried out from 1986 to 1991.

He was Parochial Vicar in the Parish of "La Purísima" of El Palmar between 1988 and 1989.

Between 1989 and 1991 he served as co-parish priest of the Parish of San Mateo in the city of Lorca (Murcia), in which he received the invitation of the then Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of La Paz - Bolivia, Msgr. Jesús Juárez, so that he could carry out his ministry as a missionary in Bolivian territory, to which Father José accepted with great pleasure and missionary enthusiasm.

In October 1991 he began his pastoral work as Pastor of the “Jesús Obrero” Parish in El Alto, a mission he has been carrying out ever since. At the same time that he served as Parish Priest of Jesús Obrero, Father José Fuentes completed his undergraduate studies in Philosophy at UNED-Spain and a bachelor's degree in Educational Sciences at the Salesian University of Bolivia.

José Fuentes Cano is the founder and president of the Fundación Sembrando Esperanza (FUNDASE), which carries out important human promotion work in the city of El Alto, through three children's educational centers, the school support project, "Kurmi ”, two centers for children and adolescents with disabilities, two health centers (Jesús Obrero and Santa Maria de Los Ángeles) and the FOCAPACI training center.

As parish priest of Jesús Obrero, he has been the builder and promoter of two Fe y Alegría schools, Jesús Obrero and Región de Murcia, and in his parish, characterized by the intense and innovative youth ministry, two associations of faithful, religious and clerics: the Community of Salesian Missionaries and the Missionary Community of Christ the Shepherd.

In addition, Fr. Fuentes has carried out, since he arrived in Bolivia, an intense teaching activity, as a professor of various philosophical and theological subjects at the "San Jerónimo" Theology Center in La Paz, a branch of the San Pablo Faculty of Theology and as professor of Philosophy of Education at the Salesian University of Bolivia.

At the beginning of 2010, he was invited to serve as Secretary for Pastoral Care of the Bolivian Episcopal Conference, a position he held until 2012 when he was appointed Deputy Secretary-General of the CEB until he was appointed Rector of the University. Bolivian Catholic "San Pablo".