Father Rafael Jaime Cabañas Zuniga

Father Rafael Jaime Cabañas Zuniga

Sept. 17, 1930 — July 6, 2024

SAN JUAN – Father Rafael Jaime Cabañas Zuñiga, 93, passed away on Saturday, July 6, 2024, at his home

on the grounds of the Basilica of Our Lady San Juan del Valle-National Shrine.

At the time of his death, he was the oldest priest in the Diocese of Brownsville.

Father Cabañas was born Sept. 17, 1930, in Miranda de Arga, Navarra, Spain, to the late Santiago Cabañas

and Luisa Zuñiga de Cabañas. He was educated at the Colegio del Sagrado Corazón in Murguía, Spain,

followed by seminary at Seminario de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Madrid, Seminario de San Pablo

in Cuenca, Spain, and the Vincentian Seminary in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, England.

Father Cabañas was ordained by Bishop Emilio Lisson at the Basílica de la Virgen Milagrosa in Madrid on

Sept. 8, 1955, for service to the Congregation of the Mission (Vicentian Fathers). He subsequently served

in Mexico for several years.

After moving to the United States and the Rio Grande Valley in the late 1960s, Father Cabañas served at

St. Joan of Arc Parish in Weslaco and became assistant pastor there in 1969. In early 1973, he moved to

St. Helen Parish in Rio Hondo as assistant pastor for a few months before becoming the parish

administrator at Sacred Heart Parish in Escobares. He held that post until the end of August 1978.

Father Cabañas was incardinated to the Diocese of Brownsville on Sept. 8, 1976.

He went back to Spain for several years between late 1978 and 1993. Returning to the Valley and the

diocese, he served as parochial vicar at Christ the King Parish in Brownsville (1993), as parochial

administrator at Resurrection Parish in Alamo (1994), as pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption in

Harlingen (1994-1997), and was dean of the Harlingen Deanery from mid-1996 to mid-1997.

Father Cabañas retired from active ministry in 1997 but returned to be pastor at St. Joseph Parish in

Brownsville for three years (2001-2004). He then served as assistant to the rector at the Basilica of Our

Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine for almost two years before retiring at the end of 2005.

Funeral arrangements for Father Cabañas include viewing from 4-9 p.m. July 10 at the Basilica of Our

Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine, and Rosary and vigil at 7 p.m., July 10, also at the basilica.

The Funeral Mass for Father Cabañas will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 11, 2024, at the basilica, with

Bishop Daniel E. Flores as celebrant.

It was Father Cabañas’ wish to be cremated and his ashes deposited in the crypt at the Parróquia Maria

Madre de Dios in Veracruz, Mexico, where he served for many years and helped build the church before

coming to the Diocese of Brownsville.