Luis de Lezama, priest, journalist and founder of the Lezama Group and the Iruaritz Lezama Foundation, dies

This Saturday, January 11, at 5:00 p.m., the priest, journalist and businessman died Luis de Lezama Barañano at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, in Madrid, after having received the Holy Sacraments. His funeral chapel will be installed on Monday, January 13 at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish of Santa María la Blanca, on Monasterio de Oseira Street in Madrid, where the mass in burial will also be celebrated at 7:30 p.m.

Luis de Lezama, known for his outstanding career as a journalist, priest and visionary in the educational and hospitality fields, leaves a legacy deeply marked by his commitment to youth, innovation and service to the community.

A life marked by service and improvement

Born in 1936 in Amurrio, a small town in the Basque Country, Luis de Lezama grew up in a humble family. From a young age he showed a vocation for service, which led him to move to Madrid to begin ecclesiastical studies at the Conciliar Seminary. He was ordained a priest in 1962, serving in parishes of Chinchón and Vallecas, where he received the nickname “the suitcase priest“for his dedication to young bullfighters.

In addition to his pastoral life, De Lezama studied Information Sciences at the Complutense University of Madrid, specializing in radio, television and image. During his career as a journalist, he worked for the EFE agency and other media such as Cadena SER and COPE. His outstanding work earned him the Ondas International Award in 1972.

Throughout his journalistic career, Luis de Lezama covered highly relevant international events, such as the Six-Day War in 1967, during which he was wounded in the Golan Heights. He also conducted important interviews, such as the one he held with Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, and witnessed the aerial tragedy of the Uruguayan rugby team in the Andes.

A pioneer in hospitality and education

Luis de Lezama found his true calling in helping marginalized young people. In the 70s, he founded the Youth Hostel in Vallecas, a space for the social reintegration of young people through community work. In 1974, these same young people participated in the creation of the Taberna del Alabardero, which laid the foundations for the Lezama Group, a project that merged its social mission with gastronomic excellence.

The Lezama Group grew to become an international reference in hospitality, with 22 establishments in cities such as Madrid, Seville, Marbella, Washington and Seattle. Among them, the Taberna del Alabardero in Washington, located near the White House, and the Café de Oriente, in Madrid, stand out.

In 1993, he founded the Higher School of Hospitality of Seville, which has been recognized as one of the best in Europe. This commitment to professional training also led it to develop online educational programs and establish branches in Mexico and Miami, consolidating its impact internationally.

Santa María la Blanca School: a model of educational innovation

In 2006, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela invited De Lezama to establish a parish in the Madrid neighborhood of Montecarmelo. However, he proposed a different approach: creating an educational center based on an innovative system. This is how the Santa María la Blanca School was born, which in 2009 introduced the EBI Project (Education Based on Interiority), a methodology that encourages the personalization of learning and the use of new technologies for the development of entrepreneurial skills.

This educational project received international recognition, standing out as one of the most innovative in the world. It has been implemented in public centers in Spain and in countries such as the Dominican Republic and the United States, consolidating De Lezama as a reference in the educational field.

A legacy of global impact

Luis de Lezama’s life was an example of how faith, innovation and social commitment can transform lives. His ability to combine his pastoral work with the creation of educational and employment opportunities for thousands of people made him a visionary.

The Iruaritz Lezama Foundation, which it created to provide legal and financial support to its social projects, will continue working on the training of young people and the expansion of its educational and hospitality initiatives.

Luis de Lezama was not only a priest and businessman, but a man deeply committed to dignity and human development. His story, which began in a small Basque town, became a legacy that has reached thousands of people around the world.

His passing marks the end of an exemplary life, but his work will endure as a testament to his vision and dedication. Rest in peace.