▁conduct ▁cover t ▁Mass es ▁to ▁avoid ▁detection . ▁He ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁the ▁Bishop ▁Saint ▁Rafael ▁Gu í zar ▁Val encia ▁who ▁started ▁ment oring ▁the ▁sem in arian ▁and ▁also ▁becoming ▁a ▁close ▁friend . ▁Val encia ' s ▁successor ▁- ▁Manuel ▁P ío ▁López ▁- ▁appointed ▁him ▁as ▁an ▁a col y te ▁( one ▁who ▁prepar es ▁lit urg ical ▁celebr ations ) ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁July ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁He ▁was ▁ord ained ▁as ▁a ▁priest ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁became ▁both ▁a ▁teacher ▁and ▁a ▁spiritual ▁director ▁while ▁being ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁pre fect ▁of ▁the olog ians ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁to ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁made ▁the ▁conf essor ▁to ▁the ▁Sister s ▁of ▁B ander illa . ▁As ▁a ▁popular ▁conf essor ▁he ▁often ▁spent ▁six ▁to ▁eight ▁hours ▁in ▁the ▁conf essional ▁with ▁people ▁even ▁waiting ▁until ▁mid night ▁to ▁see ▁him . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁dioc es an ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁the ▁Pro pag ation ▁of ▁the ▁Fa ith ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁became ▁both ▁the ▁chap lain ▁and ▁the ▁spiritual ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Mot olin ía ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁parish ▁past or ▁of ▁Saint ▁Jer ome ▁in ▁Co