- 21 August, 2026
Valencia, Spain, August 21, 2026: For the past 15 years, Spanish priest Father Fernando Cuevas has been helping single Catholics find their future spouses — not through a dating app, but through WhatsApp, prayer and a simple questionnaire.
The priest, originally from Ibiza and a member of Opus Dei, says he has helped 1,280 single people find a spouse and marry. Now over 70, Father Cuevas sees the ministry not simply as matchmaking, but as a pastoral mission centred on Christian marriage.
“There are many people longing for true and everlasting love in Christ,” he told ACI Prensa.
Alongside his work as chaplain to two schools and two youth clubs near Valencia, he receives dozens of messages from Catholics seeking a partner. On an ordinary day, he says, as many as 60 WhatsApp messages may arrive.
Father Cuevas keeps his initial criteria straightforward. Those approaching him must be over 25 and attend Mass on Sundays.
He then asks about their age, involvement in parish life and where they live. When possible, he cross-references the information before suggesting a potential match.
Practical considerations also play a role. He generally looks first at the candidates’ locations, believing that living in the same city can make a relationship easier to develop.
He also considers factors such as age, height and, importantly, the person's spirituality.
For those who become impatient, Father Cuevas offers a simple response: “Wait — your turn will come.”
Despite his remarkable record, the priest insists that he possesses no special matchmaking gift.
“I’m a priest; I completely trust in Providence,” he said.
For Father Cuevas, marriage itself can be understood as a vocation. He believes God has a particular plan for every person, just as some are called to religious life or the priesthood.
He therefore sees the search for a spouse not merely as finding someone compatible, but as discerning a relationship in which both people can grow in holiness.
“It’s a call to total self-giving,” he explained.
His ministry has even produced some unexpected surprises.
On one occasion, telephone numbers were accidentally mixed up. A man contacted someone other than the woman originally intended. Rather than simply dismissing the mistake, the two met, shared a meal and began getting to know one another.
They soon realised that some of the photographs and profile details did not correspond. Yet neither was particularly concerned.
One of them eventually wrote to Father Cuevas: “I don’t know what happened, but it’s perfect.”
What began as an initiative to help Catholics within the Archdiocese of Valencia has grown into an international ministry.
Father Cuevas now receives requests from Spanish-speaking countries across Latin America, including Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Another priest, Father Vicente Huerta, assists him, particularly with conversations taking place late at night in different time zones.
The ministry has even received enquiries from countries as far away as India.
For Father Cuevas, however, the most important lesson is not the number of marriages.
He believes his experience has revealed a profound hunger among people for authentic love, self-giving and a relationship with God at its centre.
“The vast majority are looking for someone who places Christ at the centre of their lives,” he said.
For a society facing growing challenges surrounding marriage and family life, his unusual apostolate offers a striking reminder: beneath the technology, questionnaires and WhatsApp messages lies an ancient human desire — to love faithfully, give oneself completely and journey towards holiness with another person.
Courtesy : EWTN News
Photo Courtesy : Archdiocese of Valencia
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