“No one teaches us to die, only you do. Step by step, with us!”
– from the diary of her last days in the hospital
After the final step of an unexpected, short and painful stay in the hospital, Dr. Pilar Martín Espíldora on November 12th. Pilar died in peace, surrounded by her sister Nieves, Superior General Juana Sánchez-Gey and several Idente missionaries from Germany.
Pilar was born on October 4, 1955 in Tetouan (Morocco/Spain) and grew up with her family in Zaragoza.
After her state examination in English philology in 1978 at the University of Zaragoza (Spain), Pilar received her doctorate in English Philology in 1980 at the University of La Laguna (Canary Islands). In 1982 she completed the state examination in Philosophy and in 1984 received the academic degree Master of Arts in Spanish from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York in Queens (USA). In 1990 she graduated from C.U.N.Y. with the academic degree Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Spanish Language and Literature.
Pilar has taught Spanish literature and language at many colleges and universities around the world: Spain, New York, India, Philippines and Germany. In Berlin she worked at the HTW, Humboldt University and the Cervantes Institute. Beginning in winter semester of 2013, Pilar taught Spanish level A2 and Spanish for Specific Purposes at the ASH Berlin Language Center.
Pilar was known and loved for her attentiveness, tenderness and charity. She dedicated her life to the Missionary Identes and lived according to the Gospel commandment “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to all people” (Mark 16:15). On December 8, 1993, she founded the Identes Missionaries in Germany with their headquarters in Neuss.
From 1994 till her death she was an active representative of the Fernando Rielo e.V. Foundation in Germany. She developed international programs for students: organized the participation of German students on the Pilgrim's Route to Santiago de Compostela (International Foundation of Idente Students) and carried out volunteer service programs in Italy, South America and Africa. She was a certified spiritual counselor for the Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin. Most recently, her home was the Catholic parish of St. Matthias Schöneberg—Parish of St. Norbert. The funeral took place at the end of November at St. Matthias cemetery.
As one of her colleagues, my encounters with Pilar over the past ten years were always very pleasant and characterized by mutual understanding - even if the work-related circumstances were not always easy or pleasant. With her balanced and benevolent nature, Pilar always radiated optimism. Through her career as a scientist and teacher, as well as her work as a missionary, she was able to impart a wealth of knowledge and experience to her students. As her colleague, I could not have wished for more suitable qualities.
