January 20, 1906Marcelo Cardinal Spinola y Maestre, Death

Blessed Marcelo Rafael José María de los Dolores Hilario Spinola y Maestre (14 January 1835 - 20 January 1906) was a Cardina of the Roman Catholic Church  who served as Archbishop of Seville

Marcelo Spínola was born on the island of San San fernado, Cadiz Province. His parents were Juan Spínola y Osorno, Maquis of SPINOLA and Antonia Maestre y Osorno; they had eight children, of whom four died in infancy. He was baptized the following day in the military parish of San Fernando by the military chaplain of the second battalion of the Real Cuerpo de Artillería de la Marina. His last name is also listed as Espínola.

He did his initial studies in the school of San Fernando, directed by priests from 1843-1845; then at the Colegio Santo Tomás in Cádiz, 1845-1846 where he studied Latin, Spanish and French grammar and basic philsophy. He then went to the school of Motril, where his father had been transferred from 1846-1847. He went on to the school in Granada, 1847-1848, where he studied physics, chemistry and natural history. He then went to the University  of Valencia from 1849-1852 and the University of Seville, graduating on the 29 June 1856.

He opened a law office in Huelva, offering free services to the poor. He moved to Sancular de Barrameda when his father was transferred to that city as chief of the port. He decided to follow his sacerdotal vocation on the advice of Canon Diego Herrero y Espinosa de los Monteros and began to study theology at home. He received the ecclesiastical tonsure  on 29 May 1863 and the diaconate on 20 February 1864.