El padrecito 1964

In the quiet parish of San Jerónimo el Alto, an aging priest named Father Damián learns he is slated to be replaced by a younger successor. He resists the news, clinging to all the routines that defined his years of service, even as the townspeople grow distant. The arrival of the new pastor, Father Sebastián, is met with a chilly reception from most locals, including Damián himself and his sister, Sara. The only warm light in this chilly transition comes from Sara’s daughter, Susana, whose openness hints at the possibility of change. As the town settles into this uneasy new balance, the power dynamics are sharpened by the looming enmity of the cacique Don Silvestre and his son [Marcos], who stand ready to test the newcomer.

At first, [Father Sebastián] faces a wall of apathy and suspicion. Yet his unconventional approach gradually begins to win people over, as he speaks to their duties in a modern world while remaining faithful to his Catholic ideals. His methods are not without controversy: he refuses to baptize a child when the name seems “too ugly,” he confronts Marcos in a tense, and at times physical, exchange, and he is unafraid to challenge entrenched norms. He also makes bold gestures, such as using the collection plate to redistribute wealth more evenly across the town, a move that sparks debate about fairness and poverty. Accusations of spreading communism surface, but he grounds his stance in the social teachings of the church, even quoting the 1891 encyclical Rerum novarum to frame his arguments. As his presence grows, he even threads politics into his sermons, hinting at the need for reform without abandoning his core beliefs.

The situation culminates when the overseeing bishop, Padre Juan José Romero, arrives to review Father Sebastián’s work. To test the limits of his ideas, Sebastián pretends to have even more radical notions for the church, a gambit that earns him a wary nod from the bishop. In a surprising turn, Romero ultimately decides to keep Father Damián in place, acknowledging that Sebastián’s energy and determination—more than any playful rhetoric or theatrics—were what the town needed to spark real change. As Sebastián prepares to depart, the crowd gives him a tenfold farewell, a testament to the impact of his devotion and drive. The bishop’s revelation underscores a simple truth: it is Sebastián’s perseverance and spirit, not mere tricks, that left a lasting mark on the parish and its people.