Meet the Patron of Journalists; Blessed "Lolo" (Manuel Lozano Garrido)

This year we celebrate the 100th birthday of the Patron of Journalists; Blessed Manuel “Lolo” Lozano Garrido. He was an amazing man who suffered from paralysis and blindness but never lost sight of his Lord and Savior. He is an inspiration for all who take pen (keyboard) to paper.

His name was Manuel Lozano Garrido, but everyone called him “Lolo.” He was born in Linares, Spain, on August 9, 1920. One of seven children, his dad, died early in life, and his mom was left with the children to care for. When Lolo was 15, his mom also died. He and his brothers and one sister, Lucia, stayed together, with the oldest among them doing their best to provide for the family.

Even in his childhood years, Lolo demonstrated an evident spirituality with a deep love for Jesus. He joined Catholic Action at the age of eleven, and from that point on, his love of his faith and what it meant to him was of prime importance. He would be a member of CA his entire life.

When the Spanish Civil War erupted in 1936, Lolo took it upon himself to secretly bring Holy Communion to the villagers. He was only sixteen. He did this secretly until he was arrested two years later for being “too Christian.” He had to spend the night of Holy Thursday in a jail cell. But for Lolo, it was easy to do. He had hidden the Eucharist in a small bouquet of flowers and smuggled it into his cell.. He spent his Holy Thursday night attending adoration in his cell. None of his jailers knew. He was released the next day, Good Friday, and spent Easter with his brothers and sister.

Lolo displayed his talent as a writer when he was very young. He loved to read different publications and books of all sorts. The house he and his siblings lived in was located directly across from the parish church. From the balcony, Lolo could get a glimpse of the tabernacle inside the church, and he always faced His Lord when he was reading and writing. It was his source of inspiration.

When Lolo was twenty-two years old, he was attacked by an insidious disease known as spondylitis. A doctor explained by saying, “imagine you have a pin stuck in every millimeter of your skin, and that is not the extent of the suffering. Pain attacks the neck, back, vertebrae and eventually causes paralysis.“  The prognosis is uncertain.

Lolo’s disease also began to assault his eyesight. It was only a short time before he was completely blind. The great irony in this is when his illness disabled him, he became the most productive of his life. Some argued that Lolo did not live 51 years but rather only 28. The reason they said that was because, during those last 28 years of his life, he was blind, in a wheelchair, and living his life filled with  unmistakable joy. This joy is greatly attributed to his being a part of Catholic Action. This is where his faith has been molded and strengthened, helping him to love Jesus and Our Lady more and more every day. And yes, it is during this time that the majority of his writing takes place.

A combination of necessity fortified by vocation sees Lolo become a journalist. He maintains this job himself, and he begins making contact with the outside world. He does this while shuttered behind the walls of his home. He types until he can only use one hand. Then he types again and when he cannot type with two hands, he ties a pencil to his hand. His sister, Lucia, steps up and begins taking dictation from him.

During these years, he authors countless newspaper articles and authors nine books. But most importantly, he teaches us how to live life. He never complains, does not get depressed, nor exhibit any sadness. We learn from Lolo how to suffer. He leaves these words of advice to journalists everywhere and for all time:

“pay with the currency of frankness, work the bread of information clean with the salt of style and the yeast of eternity, and not to serve neither pastry nor spicy dishes, rather the good bite of a clean and hopeful life as well as inviting people to cut the hand that wants to smear, because the stains in the brains are like those wounds that never heal..”

Lolo, who had endured severe breathing difficulties from his illness, caught a common cold and died from the complications on November 3, 1971. He was 51 years old.

 On December 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI recognized a miracle attributed to Lolo’s intercession in the cure of a two-year-old child suffering multiple organ failure due to an illness called Gram-negative-sepsis.  On June 12, 2010, Manuel Lozano Garrido was beatified and declared Blessed. He is now the Patron of Journalists.

 copyright©Larry Peterson 2021