Athlete of the Spirit: “Solo Javier” The story of Javier Sartorius has reached Rome, where his family, friends and production team presented the film Only Javier and had the chance to speak about him with Pope Leo XIV. The documentary follows the journey of a young Spanish aristocrat and promising tennis player who chose to abandon success and comfort for a life of radical faith. Javier\u2019s brother, Fernando Sartorius, shared, \u201cHe was my companion in every adventure \u2014 like a twin. Even though we have other siblings, it was always Javier and Fernando, the two of us together.\u201d In their youth, the two crossed the Atlantic together, chasing possibility in the United States. Fernando recalls that even in those years, Javier had a disarming clarity and honesty \u2014 a kind of transparency that would later shape his entire path of conversion: \u201cWe used to sell vacuum cleaners door to door in America, and our parents were worried about us. So, my father would call me and ask, \u2018Fernando, what are you doing in Dallas?\u2019 And I\u2019d tell him, so he wouldn\u2019t worry, \u2018Dad, I work for a German company.\u2019 \u201cMy father would say, \u2018Germany? Bravo! Germany, very good, very good \u2014 that\u2019s a great future.\u2019 Then he\u2019d say, \u2018Put Javier on the phone. Javier, what are you doing?\u2019 \u201cAnd Javier would say, \u2018I sell vacuum cleaners.\u2019 \u201cJavier, to be honest, didn\u2019t care.\u201d Javier was looking for meaning in life and more profoundness, first he looked in Eastern spiritualities, then through volunteer missions in Peru, where he rediscovered the faith he had abandoned. \u201cWhen Javier left,\u201d Fernando continued, \u201che said to me, \u2018Come with me.\u2019 And I said, \u2018No\u2026 you go ahead, you go there\u2026 I\u2019ll stay here.\u2019 And I became a personal trainer, and he became an athlete of the Spirit.\u201d The call did not stop there. Javier entered a seminary for a time, but his desire for a more radical simplicity led him to leave and share life with people living on the streets of Barcelona. Eventually, he found his home at the Sanctuary of Lord in the Pyrenees \u2014 where he embraced poverty, silence, fraternity, and service. The group met Pope Leo XIV at the General Audience, sharing the testimony of Javier\u2019s life. Jordi Bosch is the President of Javier Sartorius Association. He explained: \u201cIt was a very simple meeting. We talked to him about Javier, who was a missionary, a monk, and at the same time an elite tennis player. We reminded him briefly about the visit from the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, who gave him the book \u2018Solo Javier\u2019 and the film \u2018Solo Javier.\u2019 He remembered it. We exchanged just a few words \u2014 he welcomed us warmly, and it was all very simple and very familiar.\u201d An association named \u201cJavier Sartorius\u201d is now dedicated to sharing his story and testimony, with the hope of inspiring others and eventually opening his cause for canonization. \u201cThis association asked the bishop if there could be a possible cause for sainthood. The bishop told us no \u2014 his life wasn\u2019t well known. And that\u2019s why we decided to make a film and a book,\u201d Bosch added. For the film\u2019s director, Josepmaria Angl\u00e8s, Javier\u2019s story that he portrayed in the film is not simply something to remember \u2014 it is something meant to awaken the heart. \u201cIn the end,\u201d he explained, \u201cJavier\u2019s life is a relentless search for a life of fulfillment, a life of meaning \u2014 a life that isn\u2019t just about accumulating pleasures and experiences, but about truly experiencing love and encountering God.\u201d Josemaria says that the movie does not present a perfect man \u2014 but a man who refused half-measures, who wanted a love that was total. A life that, according to those who knew him best, continues to speak today, as his brother attests: \u201cAnd he said to Jesus: \u2018Jesus, what must I do to reach the Kingdom of Heaven? What must I do so that when I die, I can go to heaven? I do everything right \u2014 I\u2019m good to my parents, and so on, and so forth.\u2019 And Jesus said, \u2018Look, I\u2019ll tell you what you must do: go home, leave your family, sell everything you have, and follow me.\u2019 And he did \u2014 he followed Him all the way to his death.\u201d Adapted by Jacob Stein. Produced by Alexey Gotovskiy; Camera by Alberto Basile; Video Edited by Gianluca Gangemi Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Alexey Gotovskiy Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. 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