24 October 2025
Bilbao Campus
On 24 October, the University of Deusto and the Bilbao City Council paid tribute to Jesuit José Ramón Scheifler marked by a commemorative plaque at 3 Barroeta Aldamar Street, where he was born in 1920. The event was attended by the Rector of the University of Deusto, Juan José Etxeberria; the Mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto; the Councillor for Culture, Gonzalo Olabarria; and the Councillor for Equality and Cohesion, Kontxi Claver, as well as guests including Rosa Miren Pagola, Javier Batarrita and Javier Scheifler, among others.
This tribute honours the memory of this Jesuit, who was deeply connected to the academic, intellectual and spiritual life of the city. Fr Scheifler served as Dean of the Faculty of Theology and as General Secretary of the University of Deusto, guiding countless generations of students. For nearly fifty years, he taught them to reflect and adopt a critical approach to life and to sacred texts, always placing researchers at the heart of his work.
In his speech, Rector Juan José Etxeberria highlighted Scheifler's human and academic legacy. He recalled Scheifler’s childhood in a home full of love and learning, his early vocation for the Society of Jesus, and his lifelong commitment to teaching and truth. "His life was a synthesis of roots and horizons: he taught humanity, coherence and dedication to the service of others, leaving an example that continues to inspire generations," he said.
Born in Bilbao into a family of German and Bilbao origin, José Ramón Scheifler entered the Society of Jesus in 1938 and received his education in Spain, Central America, Germany, Israel and Rome. He was ordained a priest in 1953 and was one of the main driving forces behind the incorporation of the Faculty of Theology of Oña into the University of Deusto in 1967, helping to place theological education within a university and urban context. He died in 2021 at the age of 101.
This commemorative plaque adds to the recognition that the University of Deusto dedicated to him last April with the presentation of the book "José Ramón Scheifler, el profesor que enseñaba a pensar", a work that brings together a selection of his writings and reflections. On that occasion, friends, students and university colleagues who knew him highlighted his critical mindset, his thirst for freedom, his pursuit of truth, and his ability to make faith relevant to the contemporary world.
