There are lives that seem unremarkable as they unfold, but which, upon closer inspection, reveal a surprising richness. Chema Postigo’s was one such life. Father of eighteen children, husband to Rosa Pich, businessman, family mentor and member of Opus Dei, Chema was not a famous figure in the usual sense of the word. However, those who knew him agree on something difficult to explain: each felt, in some way, that they were his best friend.
The journalist and writer Jaume Figa Vaello pieced together his story from over 130 interviews and nearly 100 hours of recordings. The result was Chema Postigo. A heart made for friendship, a biography which shows how holiness can find its way into the midst of a very ordinary life: marriage, children, work, financial difficulties, illness, pain and friendship.
The book has just been published in an English e-book version on Amazon, where the paperback edition is also available.
A life that enriched the lives of others
Chema was born in 1960 in Cantimpalos, a village in Segovia, into a large family. From a young age, he stood out for his ability to make friends, organise activities, look after others and face difficulties with a rare blend of realism, a sense of humour and a life of faith.
He didn’t have an easy life. He experienced painful family problems, illness, persistent physical pain, and the death of several children. His was a constant dedication to his family and to the many people who turned to him seeking advice, companionship or simply a conversation.
The book does not present Chema as a distant hero, but as very human, with his weariness, temperament, limitations and sufferings. That is precisely why his testimony feels so relatable: because it shows how an ordinary life can become extraordinary.
“Being with Chema was almost like being in heaven”
The foreword to the English edition is written by Karel Phlips, who got to know Chema and Rosa closely through the IFFD’s family enrichment courses. He recalls Chema’s generosity, his joy and his way of making everyone feel important.
Phlips has no hesitation in recommending the book because — he writes — it is “full of encouragement and optimism”. And he sums up the impression Chema left with words taken from Javier Vidal-Quadras: being with him was “almost like being in Heaven”.
That is perhaps one of the book’s key themes: it is not merely about recounting a life, but about showcasing a way of living. Chema knew how to turn friendship into a mission. Not as a strategy or a technique, but as a Christian way of looking at each person: one by one, taking time, with genuine interest, and with a supernatural sense of purpose.
A story for families, educators and friends
Chema Postigo. A heart made for friendship may be of particular interest to those seeking testimonies of Christian life in the midst of the world, stories of married couples and large families, examples of lay holiness, or accounts that help rediscover the value of friendship.
It is also a book about suffering lived with faith. Chema and Rosa’s lives were marked by very difficult trials, but the account does not descend into melodrama. On the contrary: it shows how Christian hope can coexist with pain without denying it, and how a family can remain open to others even when going through dark times.
At a time when so many relationships seem fragile, fleeting or superficial, Chema’s story reminds us that true friendship requires presence, listening, memory, joy and self-giving. And that a person who truly loves can leave behind a legacy far greater than they themselves could ever imagine.
The book Chema Postigo. A heart made for friendship is available on Amazon in both e-book and paperback editions.