Rafael Martínez Díaz was born in Arjonilla, Spain, on July 13, 1928. Sensing a call to the priesthood from a very young age, he was ordained on May 31, 1952, and became a member of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross in 1955. He was marked by his cheerful enthusiasm. He identified himself fully with the spirit of the Work and brought many souls to God. Suffering a grave illness during the last three years of his life, he offered the discomfort and pain of his sickness to God and died in Granada, Spain, on December 27, 2003.