Fr. Rafael Sanabria, CSV, Fr. Sanabria died June 26 in Bogotá, Colombia after a short illness. He was born on June 26, 1962 in Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca, Colombia. He is preceded in death by his parents Rafael Sanabria Joya and Elicia Rojas de Sanabria, and survived by his brothers, Alfonso Alvarez Rojas and Gustavo Orlando González. Fr. Sanabria pronounced his first vows on January 14. 2001. He was ordained on March 23, 1996 by Monseñor Abraham Escudero at Espinal in Tolima, Colombia.
Fr. Sanabria studied his secondary education at Colegio Ricaurte in Fusagasugá, Cundinamarca and got a degree in theology from the Universidad de San Buenaventura, both in Bogotá.
Before entering the Clerics of St. Viator, Fr. Sanabria was ordained in the Diocese of Espinal where he served as Professor at the Seminary of Espinal, Director of Colegio Santa Margarita Maria, Parochial Vicar at Catedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Associate Pastor at San Rafael Parish.
Upon entering the Viatorian Community in 2000, Fr. Sanabria served as teacher and chaplain at Colegio San Viator in Bogotá. He also served as pastor at San Juan Maria Vianney Parish in Cundinamarca from 2008 to 2013. He also served as Associate Pastor at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro in the Archidiocese of Villavicencio, and was as chaplain 2016-2019 at Colegio la Presentación de Sans Facon in Bogotá.
At the time of his passing, Fr. Sanabria was the vocations director and pre-novice director for the Viatorians in Colombia, as well as once more chaplain at Colegio San Viator.
Fr. Daniel Hall, CSV, Provincial, celebrated the funeral Mass on July 7 for Fr. Sanabria in the chapel of Colegio San Viator. Interment took place at Jardines del Recuerdo Cementery, both in Bogotá.