Meet the man building a Cathedral by hand

Spanish man promised God a chapel for his health

Justigo Gallego Martinez, a former monk who has been erecting a cathedral outside of Madrid. (Photo Credit: JMPerez, Wikimedia Commons)

Justigo Gallego Martinez has been building a Cathedral for the past 53 years of his life. He is only 90 years old.

The ex-farmer/bullfighter became a Trappist monk for eight years. In 1961 however, Gallego Martinez was forced to leave the monastery due to a case of tuberculosis. While sick, he implored to God to heal him, saying that he would build a chapel and name it after the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Lo and behold, Gallego Martinez made a full recovery, and set off to fulfill his promise in 1963. He has continued to build it ever since, despite no prior experience with architecture or construction.

For more information on his experiences building the cathedral, watch Great Big Story's short video here.