“The children need affection to grow,” begins the story of Alberto Muñiz Sánchez, better known as Uncle Alberto since he founded the CiudadEscuela Muchachos (CEMU).

This “city” is a school and residential facility located in Leganés, south of Madrid, which Tio Alberto founded in 1970. It provides shelter for more than 400 vulnerable children, giving them the opportunity to thrive in an environment of respect, freedom, and love. Some reside there, while others come for education and recreation. It’s a school and training center with its own methodology and an example of social integration.

It’s a complex with classrooms, a church, a radio station, a town hall, and rooms for residents. Additionally, a garden, animals, and other elements create a sense of freedom to grow in an atmosphere of joy, love, and peace.

Uncle Alberto met Luis Valls in the 1970s, and they immediately connected. Both were passionate about helping others, and together, they worked tirelessly to provide a better life for children, earning Valls the nickname “a banker in sandals.”

According to Uncle Alberto’s recollection, Valls helped him with his project and assisted others like Enrique Castro, known as “the red priest,” whom Valls supported. Despite the fact that Castro had publicly criticized Opus Dei, on meeting him for the first time, Castro asked in surprise, “How is it you’ve come to see me?” and Valls responded in his characteristic manner, “with much affection.”

Valls was a regular at CEMU; many children even called him “Uncle Luis.” He would show up unannounced, sharing time and dreams with students and staff. Uncle Alberto recalls him as a wise and cultured man, “I was surprised by his humility and silence; he mostly listened and laughed a lot at what the kids said. He felt right at home.”

Luis Valls’s assistance through his foundations was in the form of loans, not outright grants, but with flexible terms.

“He’s a beacon,” affirms Alberto Muñiz, “because he was an example in both being and doing, unlike others who talk but do not act.”

Uncle Alberto repeats thank you, thank you, and thank you again and again, concluding that “he is present; Luis continues at CEMU.”