Fr. Javier Nieva, DCJM
Pastor
Fr. Javier was born in Madrid, Spain to Javier and Pilar on July 9th, 1974. The youngest of three, and the only boy, he also has five nieces and nephews and 6 grandnieces and nephews. He entered (age 18) in the Religious Institute of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary in September 1992. He pursued his studies of Philosophy and Theology in the School of Theology in Northern Spain located in Burgos from 1992 to 1998, with a break for the Novitiate the years 1993 – 1994, and completed his Bachelor of Sacred Theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, Italy, in 1999. The years 1999 – 2001 he studied History of the Church at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he obtained his Licentiate of Sacred Theology with a Thesis on Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val and Modernism. He took his final religious vows on January 1st, 2000 and was ordained to the priesthood on January 8th of the same year.
From 2001 to 2007 he exercised his ministry in Madrid, Spain through different apostolates: religion teacher in High School, preaching Spiritual Exercises, pastoral work with family and youth groups, parochial vicar at Santa Maria de Caná, Madrid (2004 – 2005) and collaborator at the same parish (2005 – 2007), and theology teacher at the Seminary of Castellón, Spain (2006 – 2007) among other ministries.
On July 2007 he was appointed parochial vicar at St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton, CO in the Archdiocese of Denver. The years 2013 – 2014 he served as parochial vicar at Queen of Apostles parish in Alexandria, VA in the Diocese of Arlington. From 2014 to 2020 he was pastor back at St. Mary Parish in Littleton where he also served as Parish Administrator for the year 2020 – 2021. Since 2021 he has served again as parochial vicar at St. Mary. He became American citizen on June 11th 2015.
On September 25th 2023 he was appointed by Bishop Frank Caggiano Parish Administrator at St. Leo Parish starting on November 1, 2023. On November 1, 2024 the Bishop appointed Fr. Javier as the Pastor of St. Leo.
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Fr. Rafael Palos, DCJM
Parochial Vicar
Father Rafael was born in Zaragoza, Spain, on December 19, 1991. He is the third of nine siblings: five boys and four girls, of whom the two oldest are already married and have three and one children, respectively. He entered the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary on October 2, 2009, at the age of 17. As a disciple, he studied theology at the Ecclesiastical University of San Dámaso in Madrid and elementary education at the University of Villanueva, also in the Spanish capital. During his formation as a disciple, he had the opportunity to work as a student teacher at Stella Maris La Gavia School (Madrid) for one year, at St. Mary Catholic School in Littleton (CO) for two years, and at St. Edmund’s College and Prep (UK) for another year. He made his perpetual religious profession on November 17, 2018. On December 19, 2020, he was ordained a priest in the chapel of Stella Maris La Gavia School.
His priestly ministry has been mainly dedicated to education in schools. Since he was ordained a deacon on June 27, 2020, he has been working in the Disciples’ schools in Madrid: Stella Maris. La Gavia and Stella Maris College. His main task has been to lead the primary school chaplaincy and assist in the secondary school, as well as teaching Catholic religion in primary school. He has also collaborated in the parish of Santa María Josefa in Madrid, entrusted to the Disciples.
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Fr. Luis is the third person from the right.
Fr. Luis Granados, DCJM
In Residence
Fr. Luis Granados was born in Madrid, Spain, where he grew up. He is the fifth of seven children. Since 1996 he is a member of the Disciples of the hearts of Jesus and Mary. He holds a Doctorate in Moral Theology from the St. John Paul II Pontifical Institute on Studies for Marriage and Family, Rome, Italy. He also holds a BA/MA in Pharmacy through the University of San Pablo – CEU, Madrid, Spain.
He studied Philosophy and Theology at the Ecclesiastical University of St. Damasus, in Madrid, completing his Bachelor in Sacred Theology. He made his final vows as a religious in 2003, and was ordained a priest of the Catholic Church in Madrid in 2005. He spent his first years as a priest in Madrid, at the House of Formation of the Disciples and as Chaplain of the Association of Families of Bethany.
From 2013 to 2022 he lived in Denver at St. Mary Catholic Parish in Littleton, CO (Archdiocese of Denver). There he served as parochial vicar and school chaplain, and was involved in Family and Youth ministry. During those years he taught Dogmatic and Moral Theology at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, in Denver. In 2015 he received the Cardinal Stafford Chair on Moral Theology and in 2018 he was appointed Academic Dean of the Seminary.
He is currently a member of the Scientific Counsel of the Veritas Amoris Project, and a Faculty fellow at Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH.
Since 2021 he is the Boys Division Director at Stella Maris – Mater Salvatoris College Preparatory School, in Stamford, CT. He also serves as Chaplain and teaches Religion, Sacred Music, and Spanish. Fr. Luis enjoys reading, writing, singing, playing the guitar, and practicing sports. He will be in residence at St. Leo Catholic Parish, helping at the parish, especially during the weekends.
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Fr. Juan Puech, DCJM
In Residence
Fr Juan was born in Madrid, Spain. After a good childhood attending Catholic school, he studied some years of Architecture. Through those years he heard the calling to priesthood in 2014. August of that year he joined the Disciples.
He studied Philosophy and Theology at the Ecclesiastical University of St. Damasus, in Madrid, completing his Bachelor in Sacred Theology. He made his final vows as a religious in 2022.
A couple of months later, he arrived in America as a deacon. After several months teaching math at St. Mary Parochial School in Littleton, Colorado, he returned to Madrid for his priestly ordination and then resumed his mission at St. Mary as a priest. He has spent his first three and a half years of his priesthood as a parochial vicar at our parish in Littleton, CO, primarily serving as the chaplain of the parochial school.
He likes everything that relates to reading, cooking, arts, movies, board games, nature, puzzles. He loves laughing and joking around
Now he comes to Stamford with a great desire to continue learning about America and all the St. Leo parishioners, and all the students and families of the Stella Maris School.
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Br. Miguel Ángel García Galindo
In Residence
Br. Miguel Ángel García Galindo was born in Madrid, Spain on June 23, 2000. His parents are Victor García and María Galindo. Growing up with his two brothers was a road of patience, since the oldest would try to tease him and the youngest one got everything, but in the end they learned to love each other. His mother, an English teacher, wanted girls but she got only 3 boys: Fernando, who is currently 27 years old, Miguel Ángel, 25, and Jose María who is 21. In exchange for this God granted her one of her most wanted wishes: to travel the world. In the year 2014, when he was fourteen years old, the family moved to the United States, where they stayed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for two years and in Hillsboro, Oregon for another 3 years. After 5 years that changed their lives as individuals and as a family they moved back to Madrid in July 2019.
Miguel Ángel initially pursued an aviation career. He studied in a private school to get the Airline Transport Pilot License, his goal being to work for the airlines one day. But after the Covid pandemic and the quarantine measures were lifted in Madrid, he experienced a retreat called “Effetá” (Ephphatha) after which he started to open up to hear the Lord’s voice. He prayed for a while that He might show him His will. Miguel Ángel realized it would be the only thing that would truly grant him happiness and fulfillment. A little after he met the Disciples through the parish of Saint Josefa and through spiritual direction with Father Jesus Enrique, DCJM, he realized that God was calling him for something, especially during the Spiritual Exercises of 8 Days with the Disciples in the mother house of Villaescusa De Haro (Cuenca, Spain), in August 2021, preached by Fr. Luis Granados, DCJM. In September Miguel Ángel started to live with the Disciples as a postulant while he finished his aviation studies and continued discernment.
In 2022 Miguel Ángel finished his aviation studies (he did fly planes! but didn’t get paid for it) and he formally entered the DCJM institute as a novice. After two years of novitiate with Father Carlos Granados, DCJM, the master of novices, he made his temporal vows in May 2024, along with his novice brother Ignacio de la Lastra. Lastly, these past two years, as a “junior” (a Disciple with temporal vows is a junior) Miguel Ángel has been studying philosophy and theology at the Madrid seminary, also known as San Dámaso Ecclesiastical University. He helped with the mountaineers group of St Dominique Sabio of the Stella Maris school of La Gavia (Madrid), with kids aged 9 to 11 years old. Some things he likes: the mountains, running, singing, reading, traveling to new places, especially outdoor parks, and watching good movies.