Bl. Francis Palau
7 Novembre 2023
(Optional Memory)
Born in Aytona, Lerida, Spain on December 29, 1811. Discalced (Teresian) Carmelite from 1832, he was ordained priest in 1836. Civil turmoil forced him to live in exile. On his return to Spain in 1851, he founded at Barcelona his School of Virtue which was a model of catechetical teaching. The school was suppressed and he was unjustly exiled to Ibiza (1854-60) where he lived at El Vedra in solitude, mystically experiencing the vicissitudes of the Church. While in the Balearic Islands he founded the Congreations of Carmelite Brothers and Carmelite Missionalry Sisters (1860-1861). He preached popular missions and spread love for Our Lady where ever he went . He died in Tarragona on March 20, 1872 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 24, 1988.
