Didacus of Alcalá
Saint
Didacus of Alcalá, more familiar as
San Diego, was a
lay brother of the
Order of Friars Minor who died at
Alcalá de Henares, Spain,
November 12,
1463.
His impoverished parents placed him as a child in the care of a hermit living not far from San Nicolas del Puerto, his native town. Feeling called to the religious life, he applied for admission to the
Franciscan Order at the convent of Arizafa and was received as a lay brother. In 1445 he was chosen guardian of the Franciscan community on the
Canary Island of
Fuerteventura. There, though it was an exception to the ordinary rules for a lay brother to be made superior, his great zeal, prudence, and sanctity justified his choice.
In 1449 he was recalled to Spain, whence he went to Rome to be present at the canonization of
Bernardino of Siena in 1450. At Rome he fulfilled the humble office of infirmarian in the convent of Ara Coeli; and his biographers record the miraculous cure of many whom he attended, through his pious intercession. He was finally recalled to Spain and was sent by his superiors to Alcalá where he spent the remaining years of his life in penance, solitude, and the delights of contemplation.
Saint Didacus was canonized by
Sixtus V in 1588. His feast is kept, especially among the Franciscans, on November 13. He is the saint to whom the
Franciscan mission that developed into
San Diego, California was dedicated.
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Catholic Encyclopedia: Saint Didacus of Alcalá
