Eleven Years Later: The Unwavering Spirit of Gaudí, A True Follower of Christ. Gaudís Way to Sainthood

It has been eleven years since I sat down to speak with José Manuel Almuzara and others deeply involved in the cause for Antoni Gaudí’s beatification. Back then, Almuzara hoped that Gaudí might be declared venerable within just one year. Eleven years have passed since that hopeful conversation, yet the flame of Gaudí’s spirit continues to burn brightly, inspiring me still.

What moved me most in that interview wasn’t simply the notion of sainthood or Church processes. It was the profoundly human and emotional essence of Gaudí — a man whose entire life was a testament to a determined spirit, shaped and molded by his unwavering desire to follow Jesus Christ authentically. 

Gaudí was not just an architect of stone and mortar; he was an architect of faith and love. To understand Gaudí is to glimpse the soul of a man who sought, with every fiber of his being, to incarnate the Gospel in his work and in his daily life. His architecture — magnificent, intricate, and alive — was not an end in itself but a prayer carved into stone. It was his way of offering beauty back to the Creator, of inviting others to encounter God through the language of form and light.

In those conversations, Almuzara described Gaudí as a man who didn’t separate his faith from his work or his life. His holiness was not a distant ideal but a lived reality — a path of humility, sacrifice, and constant striving to reflect Christ’s love. This was a man who embraced simplicity in his later years, who accepted suffering and even death with quiet surrender.

Eleven years on, the Church has officially recognized Gaudí’s heroic virtues. This formal recognition affirms what many of us already felt in our hearts: that Gaudí’s life was a true witness to Christian discipleship. Yet, the journey toward beatification still calls for a miracle, a sign that the faithful believe will affirm Gaudí’s place among the saints.

For me, this slow unfolding of history only deepens the poignancy of Gaudí’s story. It reminds me that sanctity is not a race but a pilgrimage — a steady, unwavering walk with Christ, marked by faithfulness even when the world’s pace feels slow.

Gaudí’s legacy is ultimately a story of human hope, perseverance, and the beautiful tension between the earthly and the divine. His determined spirit, his deep humility, and his burning desire to follow Jesus are what continue to inspire me and so many others. The stone and light of the Sagrada Familia stand not just as a monument of architectural genius, but as a beacon of a life wholly given in love.

Over the years, I have published this interview along with many others and numerous articles in various Internet outlets, sharing these insights with a wider audience. You can read the full interview following this link, here.

As I reflect on that interview and the years since, I am filled with gratitude — to have glimpsed the heart of a man who dared to build not just buildings, but a path to holiness. And I wait patiently, alongside many others, to see the day when Gaudí’s light will be fully recognized by the Church he loved so deeply.

         Jordi Picazo