One of the most popular hymns ever written is Pescador de Hombres, also known as “Fisher of Men” or “Lord, You Have Come to the Seashore,” or “Tu has venida a la orilla.”

Since its inception in 1979, it has been translated from the original Spanish into more than 60 languages, and become a standard selection in the hymnals of many denominations.

In the gentle rhythms of a boat rocking in the waves, the hymn evokes the willingness of Jesus’ disciples and their willingness to give up everything to follow him.

Its composer was Monseñor Cesáreo Gabaráin (1936-1991), one of the best-known composers of Spanish liturgical music since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Thirty-nine albums of his hymns were recorded.

He was born in Hernani (Guipúzcoa) in the Basque country of Northern Spain, and studied in the seminaries in Zaragoza and San Sebastian. In addition to his theological education, he studied journalism and musicology; he was ordained a priest in 1959, serving as a chaplain at colleges and nursing homes.

An athlete, Gabaráin loved working with young people, and became known at the “priest of the cyclists,” taking many tours with them and spending many summers ministering to those participating in the Tour de France. Gabaráin also ministered to soccer players in Madrid.

Gabaráin’s obituary noted that he “would simply smile when guides in Palestine boasted that ‘Pescador de Hombres’ was composed along the shores of Lakes Tiberias, when, in fact, it was written in Madrid.” However, the composer did know Lake Tiberias well, having frequently accompanied groups of pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Gabaráin died too young—he was only 55—but his music lives on.