The Valga City Council is taking steps to achieve recognition for Padre Isorna with the Day of Galician Literature. To this end, the local government convened the associative fabric, which responded with a joint declaration of support signed by about twenty cultural and neighborhood associations.
This support joins the efforts that the Valga government, in collaboration with Padre Isorna's family, has been undertaking with entities such as the Royal Galician Academy (RAG) and the Franciscan convent in Santiago de Compostela.
Xosé Manuel Isorna Ferreirós (Barcia, 1921–2016) stood out for his commitment to the dissemination of the Galician language, being a key figure in its introduction and consolidation within the church and communication. He was recognized as the "Galicianist priest" for his pioneering work in normalizing and dignifying Galician in religious and spiritual contexts, reaching hundreds of thousands of homes through Galician Television (TVG).
Furthermore, he cultivated prose in Galician and contributed to spreading the country's cultural thought and identity. In 1967, he was appointed a corresponding member of the RAG and collaborated with the institution for nearly half a century. In 1997, he received the title of Favorite Son of Valga, and in 2009, he donated his private library of approximately 15,000 volumes to the City Council, which led to the opening of Galicia's first public theology library in 2011.
Next Tuesday, a proposal will be presented to the Plenary to formalize the request for Padre Isorna to become the second person from Valga to be honored on the Day of Galician Literature, following Xesús Ferro Couselo in 1996.
