Francisco Palau
Encyclopedia
Blessed Francis Palau y Quer is a beatified Discalced Carmelite Spanish priest. He founded "The School of the Virtue" -- which was a model of catechetical teaching for adult persons—at Barcelona
. In 1860-61, he also founded a mixed Congregation of Third Order of Discalced Carmelites, both Brothers and Sisters, in Balearic Islands
. He preached popular missions and spread veneration of Our Lady
wherever he went. Francisco Palau's life got unified when he understood the beauty of the Church. What had been a confusing oscillation from solitude to service and back to solitude again made sense for him when he recognised that the real Church is the congregation of humans in the whole Christ. God and neighbours together, is his Beloved.
He died in Tarragona, Spain
on March 20, 1872, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II
on April 24, 1988.
has reached the village of Aytona. They were a humble family who worked in the farm. After a day's labor, they used to gather together to pray the rosary.
They were actively involved in the parish life. His father and all of his siblings, including himself, were members of the choir and fervent in the reception of the sacraments.
He studied at the town school and through the help of his sister Rosa, he pursued higher education.
At 14, he decided to become a priest. He frecuented the seminary classes first, as a day pupil.
In 1832, he formally relinquished his scholarship to enter postulant
at the Discalced Carmelites
convent of Lérida.
.
On November 14, 1832, he was given his habit and took the religious name
"Fr. Francisco of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph". Francisco professed solemnly on November 15, 1833—it was a time when religious persecution
was beginning in Spain. He was aware of the situation but courageous, and he never retracted his option. He continued his studies of theology in the Convent of San Jose in Barcelona.
On July 25, 1835, Barcelona succumbed to vandalic burning of convents and monasteries. The San Jose Convent was one of those burned down. Looking after others, he helped the ancient friars to get safely out of fire.
in his hometown where he alternated solitude and apostolic activities, living in a cave situated 2 km from the village. He was ordained priest in Barbastro, Spain
on April 2, 1836.
His first charge was as an Apostolic Missionary
because of his great spirituality and apostolic activity in the dioceses of Cataluna and Aragon
.
Since the government looked with suspicion on all the priests and clerics, on July 21, 1840, even if he never mingled really in politics,Fr. Palau was obliged to cross the Pyrenees
to live in exile in France for eleven years up to April 1851. There he continued to live his solitary life in the castle of Montdesir, Livron
, and then in Cantayrac. During his last years staying there, his form of living, shocking for many people, drew the attention of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. To defend himself, he wrote: La Vida Solitaria (The Solitary Life) and El solitario de Cantayrac (The loner).
He returned to Spain on April 13, 1851. He became the spiritual director of the local seminarians in Barcelona. At the same time he organized the School of Virtue in the Parish Church of San Agustin with its weekly Sunday school for adults, (1851–1854), based on the virtues from the Catecismo de las Virtudes (Catechism of Virtues) and with a programme of 52 propositions on the current ideological movements. The liberals in power protested against the school. As a consequence, it was suppressed and Fr. Palau was confined in Ibiza
for six years (1854–1860).
He remained banished for 6 years. He found an islet, a towering rock, El Vedra, near Ibiza and, needing solitude, he used to retire and pray there seeking God's will. He established a hermitage in Es Cubells where he enthroned the image of Our Lady of the Virtues, establishing the first Marian sanctuary on the island, and promoting devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary among the islanders.
In 1860–1861, he reorganized the hermits of San Honorato de Randa in Mallorca and initiated the foundation of a Carmelite family - the Congregation - Third Order of Discalced Carmelites of the Congregation of Spain.
He started to write Mis Relaciones Con la Iglesia (My Relations With the Church), a sort of autobiographical journal, partly written in the idyllic solitude of El Vedra, transmitting his experience of the Church conceived as God and neighbors.
He was authorized and nominated Founder and Director of the Carmelite Tertiaries
of Spain in 1867. In 1868, he initiated in Barcelona the weekly publication of El Ermitano (The Hermit). He assisted the sick and he practiced exorcism
. He even created a project for a religious order exclusively in order to exorcise.
While fully immersed in his apostolic and foundational work, he was infected as he helped the sick at Calasanz, reaching Tarragona, Spain
on March 10, 1872, he died on March 20, 1872 at 60 years of age assisted by the Sisters.
Fr. Francisco Palau, O.C.D. was beatified in Rome by Pope John Paul II
on April 24, 1988. His liturgical feast day is commemorated on November 7.
that ended in 1939, Little Brothers who survived were incorporated into the Teresian Carmel. The sisters are now flourishing in two congregations: Teresian Carmelite Missionaries and Carmelite Missionaries.
" I will go where the glory of God calls me."
Grant Oh Lord, that the honor which your church confers on him may help to make all men and women one in God's people and through his intercession give us the special grace which we now ask. Amen".
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. In 1860-61, he also founded a mixed Congregation of Third Order of Discalced Carmelites, both Brothers and Sisters, in Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
. He preached popular missions and spread veneration of Our Lady
Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
wherever he went. Francisco Palau's life got unified when he understood the beauty of the Church. What had been a confusing oscillation from solitude to service and back to solitude again made sense for him when he recognised that the real Church is the congregation of humans in the whole Christ. God and neighbours together, is his Beloved.
He died in Tarragona, Spain
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
on March 20, 1872, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on April 24, 1988.
Early life
He was born on December 29, 1811 in Aytona, Lerida, Spain. He was 7th of the nine children of Joseph Palau and Mary Antonia Quer. He was baptized on the same day according to the family tradition and the custom in the country. The year he was born was a year of hunger and life became harder because of the French invasionPeninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
has reached the village of Aytona. They were a humble family who worked in the farm. After a day's labor, they used to gather together to pray the rosary.
They were actively involved in the parish life. His father and all of his siblings, including himself, were members of the choir and fervent in the reception of the sacraments.
He studied at the town school and through the help of his sister Rosa, he pursued higher education.
At 14, he decided to become a priest. He frecuented the seminary classes first, as a day pupil.
Seminary life
At Lerida, he finally entered the diocesan seminary on October 1828. For four years, he was granted a "Porcionista" scholarship which means he was a full scholar with free board and lodging.In 1832, he formally relinquished his scholarship to enter postulant
Postulant
A postulant was originally one who makes a request or demand; hence, a candidate. The use of the term is now generally restricted to those asking for admission into a monastery or a convent, both before actual admission and for the length of time preceding their admission into the novitiate...
at the Discalced Carmelites
Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
convent of Lérida.
Discalced Carmelite
He entered Barcelona Carmel on October 23, 1832 as a noviceNovice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
.
On November 14, 1832, he was given his habit and took the religious name
Religious Name
A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purpose, and which is generally used in religious contexts. Different types of religious names may be in use among the clergy of a religion, as well in some cases among the laity....
"Fr. Francisco of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph". Francisco professed solemnly on November 15, 1833—it was a time when religious persecution
Religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
was beginning in Spain. He was aware of the situation but courageous, and he never retracted his option. He continued his studies of theology in the Convent of San Jose in Barcelona.
On July 25, 1835, Barcelona succumbed to vandalic burning of convents and monasteries. The San Jose Convent was one of those burned down. Looking after others, he helped the ancient friars to get safely out of fire.
Apostle and founder
He continued his life of asceticismAsceticism
Asceticism describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various sorts of worldly pleasures often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals...
in his hometown where he alternated solitude and apostolic activities, living in a cave situated 2 km from the village. He was ordained priest in Barbastro, Spain
Barbastro
Barbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
on April 2, 1836.
His first charge was as an Apostolic Missionary
Apostolic prefect
An apostolic prefect is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a missionary area where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese....
because of his great spirituality and apostolic activity in the dioceses of Cataluna and Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
.
Since the government looked with suspicion on all the priests and clerics, on July 21, 1840, even if he never mingled really in politics,Fr. Palau was obliged to cross the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
to live in exile in France for eleven years up to April 1851. There he continued to live his solitary life in the castle of Montdesir, Livron
Livron
Livron is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
, and then in Cantayrac. During his last years staying there, his form of living, shocking for many people, drew the attention of the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. To defend himself, he wrote: La Vida Solitaria (The Solitary Life) and El solitario de Cantayrac (The loner).
He returned to Spain on April 13, 1851. He became the spiritual director of the local seminarians in Barcelona. At the same time he organized the School of Virtue in the Parish Church of San Agustin with its weekly Sunday school for adults, (1851–1854), based on the virtues from the Catecismo de las Virtudes (Catechism of Virtues) and with a programme of 52 propositions on the current ideological movements. The liberals in power protested against the school. As a consequence, it was suppressed and Fr. Palau was confined in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
for six years (1854–1860).
He remained banished for 6 years. He found an islet, a towering rock, El Vedra, near Ibiza and, needing solitude, he used to retire and pray there seeking God's will. He established a hermitage in Es Cubells where he enthroned the image of Our Lady of the Virtues, establishing the first Marian sanctuary on the island, and promoting devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary among the islanders.
In 1860–1861, he reorganized the hermits of San Honorato de Randa in Mallorca and initiated the foundation of a Carmelite family - the Congregation - Third Order of Discalced Carmelites of the Congregation of Spain.
He started to write Mis Relaciones Con la Iglesia (My Relations With the Church), a sort of autobiographical journal, partly written in the idyllic solitude of El Vedra, transmitting his experience of the Church conceived as God and neighbors.
He was authorized and nominated Founder and Director of the Carmelite Tertiaries
Lay Carmelites
The Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a branch of the religious Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance and was established in 1476 by a bull of Pope Sixtus IV...
of Spain in 1867. In 1868, he initiated in Barcelona the weekly publication of El Ermitano (The Hermit). He assisted the sick and he practiced exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
. He even created a project for a religious order exclusively in order to exorcise.
While fully immersed in his apostolic and foundational work, he was infected as he helped the sick at Calasanz, reaching Tarragona, Spain
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
on March 10, 1872, he died on March 20, 1872 at 60 years of age assisted by the Sisters.
Fr. Francisco Palau, O.C.D. was beatified in Rome by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on April 24, 1988. His liturgical feast day is commemorated on November 7.
The Congregations
After the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
that ended in 1939, Little Brothers who survived were incorporated into the Teresian Carmel. The sisters are now flourishing in two congregations: Teresian Carmelite Missionaries and Carmelite Missionaries.
Quotes
From the Blessed Francisco Palau:- « The voice of God leaves no emptiness in the soul, it fills her and does not doubt ».
- « The great work of God is cultivated within ».
" I will go where the glory of God calls me."
Prayer through the Intercession of Blessed Francisco Palau
"Lord God, you chose Blessed Francisco Palau to proclaim to the whole world the mystery of the Church. He spent his life in spreading the Gospel among his brothers and sisters and in fostering among them a vivid awareness of their membership in the mystical body of Christ.Grant Oh Lord, that the honor which your church confers on him may help to make all men and women one in God's people and through his intercession give us the special grace which we now ask. Amen".
See also
- Discalced CarmelitesDiscalced CarmelitesThe Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers...
- Carmelite Rule of St. AlbertCarmelite Rule of St. AlbertThe eremitic Rule of St. Albert is the shortest of the rules of consecrated life in existence of the Roman Catholic spiritual tradition. St. Albert Avogadro, a priest of the Canons Regular and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, wrote the Rule in the early 13th century. The Rule is directed to Brother...
- Book of the First MonksBook of the First MonksThe Book of the First Monks is a medieval Christian work in the contemplative and eremetic tradition of the Carmelites. It is one of the most important documents of the Order, because it shaped many of the Saints from the Carmelite Order in the basic spirituality of the first Hermits...
- Constitutions of the Carmelite OrderConstitutions of the Carmelite OrderThe stand as an expression of the ideals and spirit of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.Foundational sources for the Constitutions include the desert hermit vocation as exemplified in the life of the Prophet Elijah. For the Carmelite the contemplative vocation is exemplified par excellence...
- CarmelitesCarmelitesThe Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...