Spanish priest helps over 1,200 people find a spouse using WhatsApp

Spanish priest Father Fernando Cuevas has helped 1,280 single people find a spouse and get married over the past 15 years using WhatsApp and a simple questionnaire.

“There are many people longing for true and everlasting love in Christ,” he told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Now over 70, the priest, who is from the island of Ibiza and is a member of Opus Dei, acknowledges that this providential pastoral work has transformed his ministry: “This has totally changed my life,” he said.

In addition to serving as chaplain for two schools near Valencia and two youth clubs, for the past 15 years he has been receiving dozens of requests from single Catholics — “on a normal day, 60 WhatsApp messages” — at the number +34 609 765 284.

Despite the sheer volume, he said he approaches it with great peace of mind: “I don’t let myself get overwhelmed,” he said.

“The two requirements I set are that they be over 25 and attend Mass on Sundays,” he explained. From there, he asks about their age, their level of church involvement, and where they live, cross-referencing the information whenever possible.

At times, he has to ask those who come to him for patience. “Wait — your turn will come,” he tells those who express a particularly strong desire to find a life partner.

When it comes to exchanging numbers, the first thing he looks at is the city where they live, as this usually makes things easier, though not always. He also tries to ensure the men are taller and two or three years older than the women.

Then there are “people with a strong sense of spirituality” — another factor that really helps ensure that the candidates hit it off.

‘I’m a priest; I completely trust in Providence’

Cuevas sets no limits on divine plans and serves people of all ages, though men are scarce in certain age groups. “I have few men in their 30s. A great many in their 40s. And fewer from age 50 onwards.” Women are less scarce.

Despite his success, the priest approaches this pastoral work with humility: “I have no special gift,” he said.

“I’m a priest; I completely trust in Providence and know that God calls every person, that there is a specific plan from the Lord for them from before they were born. Just as someone might have a vocation to a religious order, a movement, or anything else, God has someone in mind for that person, so that they may attain holiness.”

The priest, dubbed the “Tinder priest” or a matchmaker, is clear that the vocation to marriage is no less significant than others: “It’s a call to total self-giving. Just as a priest or a nun has discovered that deep longing of the human heart.”

It has happened on occasion that phone numbers got mixed up during the exchange. Someone called the wrong person, not the one originally intended. They met up, had a meal, and got to know each other. Obviously, they realized the photos and certain profile details didnʼt match, but they didnʼt mind. “I donʼt know what happened, but itʼs perfect,” one of them wrote to him.

Requests from around the world

At the start of this pastoral work, Cuevas sought to help people in his immediate circle within the Archdiocese of Valencia. However, many people write to him from other countries, particularly from Spanish-speaking America.

To better handle these requests, he relies on the assistance of another priest, Father Vicente Huerta, who is based in Spain and spends many nights speaking with people in Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, among other places.

But they have also had candidates from places that might seem unexpected at first glance, such as India.

‘People want to love truly’

In a society like Spain’s, which is experiencing a major crisis regarding marriage and the family, Cuevas said he draws a clear lesson from this apostolate: “People are looking for true love. There is a yearning, an enormous need to love. People are in great need. They want to love truly, to forget themselves, to give of themselves, and to bring Christ into their lives.”

He continued: “The vast majority are looking for someone who places Christ at the center of their lives. There are so many people longing for that. It moves me to see the number of people who say: ‘It doesn’t matter to me if he has blue eyes, is very handsome, or is very smart. If he doesn’t have Christ at the center of his life — forget it.’ That is the hierarchy of values.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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