Enrique de la Lama, Professor Emeritus of the School of Theology, died on August 17 in Logroño at the age of 87. A priest, doctor in History and Theology, he was a professor at School of Theology from 1982 until his retirement in 2006, and Deputy Director of yearbook of Church History since it was founded in 1992.

Enrique Miguel de la Lama Cereceda was born in Logroño on May 23, 1936. He entered the Conciliar seminar of the diocese of Calahorra where he studied the programs of study of Humanities and Philosophy until, in 1955, he moved to the Pontifical University of Comillas -which at that time was in the Cantabrian town from which it receives its name- to fill in his programs of study of Theology. He was ordained a priest in 1959 by the then nuncio to Spain, Hildebrando Antoniutti, and shortly afterwards he asked for admission to the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross "where his love for the priesthood and priests, for his diocese and for the whole Church intensified," says Professor César Izquierdo.

He was a formator and professor at seminar minor and major of Logroño from his ordination to the priesthood until 1971, when he moved to Pamplona to complete the licentiate degree in History. In 1972 he was appointed Ecclesiastical Counselor of the Spanish Embassies to the Holy See and to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (1972-1974), in Rome. 

In 1982, after returning to Pamplona definitively after some years of ministerial work in Bilbao, he defended his doctoral dissertation thesis in History. He had been preparing it for some years under the direction of Professor Federico Suárez, and he joined the School of Theology as a professor. 

He was able to combine his research interests with an intense pastoral work.

Professor Izquierdo recalls that "from the beginning, he combined his teaching and research interests with an intense pastoral activity, particularly among the students of the recently begun Cycle I of the School (high school Mayor Albáizar and high school Mayor Echalar)".

In 1986 he defended his second thesis , in this case in the School of Theology, specialization program of historical theology, obtaining the extraordinary award of doctorate. Since the foundation of the yearbook of Church History and until his retirement, Professor de la Lama has been part of the committee of essay as Deputy Director. 

"There is one aspect of Enrique de la Lama's priestly life that should be emphasized. I am referring to Enrique's many years of dedication to training of students at the University, and particularly to those who, during his stay in Pamplona, have discovered, undertaken and strengthened their path towards the priesthood. There are several dozens of priests scattered throughout these lands of God, some already with important responsibilities in their dioceses, who, in the warmth of the word and the attention of this priest in love with his vocation, have received a deeply human, Christian and priestly training .  

In his work as a teacher of life, Enrique has applied some principles, not theoretical, but practical. One is that training requires a relationship staff, of friendship if possible, that involves the formator and the person being formed. Another principle is that training is not limited to a few moments, but is a continuous task in which the small unexpected details that surprise are as important as the great explanations. A further one is the approach of training as a way of being, in which the formator is a witness and a friend who goes ahead, his own, original, far from any idea of priestly caste, as well as from a dissolving worldliness of what is specifically Christian and priestly. 

In this way, in addition to its fruitful academic activity, the School of Theology has benefited from the activity and ministry of Don Enrique by having among its students motivated, intellectually ambitious people in a process of maturation that has borne generous fruit. All of this has allowed the University of Navarra to give one more sample of the service to the Church that is part of its raison d'être".