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José Manuel was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on November 25, 1980, third of four siblings of his parents who had emigrated from Portugal to Venezuela. Later, however, Jose Manuel’s mother went back to Portugal because of the instability of Venezuelan society at that time. With his father and siblings, Jose Manuel grew up in the Caracas neighborhood called El Cementerio.
In 2000, Jose Manuel joined the Priests of the Sacred Heart order. He made his initial vows on September 29, 2004, and was ordained a Sacred Heart priest on December 19, 2009.
During his diaconate and early priesthood, he served in the parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Mariara, a town in the state of Carabobo, Venezuela. Sometime during his time at the parish, he was sent to Rome for a formator course. When he returned to Venezuela, he was assigned as administrator of Santo Domingo de Guzmán in the Diocese of San Carlos where the Priests of the Sacred Heart were.
It was during this time that Fr. Jose Manuel decided to leave the Sacred Heart order and serve in a diocesan capacity. As a diocesan priest instead of a religious order priest, Fr. Jose Manuel threw himself into serving the people. People loved his friendly presentation of self, his creative flare in various ministries, and his special devotion to the poor and marginalized people. He was universally known as a dynamic, charismatic figure. In addition, the bishop gave Fr. Jose Manuel the responsibility for the pastoral ministry of the Diocese of San Carlos.
During the coronavirus epidemic, Fr. Jose Manuel frequently celebrated Mass on various radio stations for the people. One message the he was famous for was that Jesus wants all his followers to love and serve those in need, for indifference toward the poor and other marginalized people is not an acceptable.
Though he had left the Sacred Heart congregation, he went out of his way to maintain a close relationship with his Sacred Heart colleagues and offer a helping hand when he could.
On the night of October 20, 2020, however, after celebrating a Mass, Fr. Jose Manuel was saying goodbye to the parishioners. Suddenly, a group of armed men subdued him, entered his house, and robbed him. Then, they shot and killed him.
