[1] Garmendia was ordained a priest in Vitória, Spain, by Archbishop Carmelo Ballester y Nieto for the Canons Regular of the Lateran on June 29, 1947.
The principal co-consecrators were Coadjutor Archbishop John Maguire and Auxiliary Bishop Patrick Ahern.
[2] In October 1981, Garmendia joined five other bishops in a statement denouncing the development of a neutron bomb by the U.S. Department of Defense.
It later expanded to include a diaper distribution program, a food pantry a SNAP benefit enrollment office, virtual income tax preparation, financial literacy workshops and referral services.
[5][6] Garmendia continued to serve as an auxiliary bishop until his resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II on October 30, 2001.