Francisco Palau y Quer, ( ca, Francesc Palau i Quer; 29 December 1811 – 20 March 1872) was a

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

Discalced Carmelite The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carme ...

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...

and priest. Growing up in the chaos of the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spai ...

in Spain, he followed both the life of a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite ( adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a C ...

and of a missionary preacher in the rural regions of

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

. He founded the School of Virtue – which was a model of catechetical teaching for adults – in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

. In 1860 he founded a mixed Congregation of Third Order of Discalced Carmelites, including both Brothers and Sisters, in the

Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands ( es, Islas Baleares ; or ca, Illes Balears ) are an archipelago in the Balearic Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. The archipelago is an autonomous community and a province of Spain; its capital is ...

. The legacy of this foundation is carried on by two

religious congregation A religious congregation is a type of religious institute in the Catholic Church. They are legally distinguished from religious orders – the other major type of religious institute – in that members take simple vows, whereas members of relig ...

s of women who serve throughout the world. Working from his tradition of

Carmelite spirituality , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

, Palau tried to promote the need of basing the spiritual life on recognizing and returning God's love, as opposed to the rationalist doctrines of the theology of his day. He was

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their n ...

by the Catholic Church in 1988. One of his spiritual followers was his great-niece, Teresa of Jesus Jornet, who founded a religious congregation of Carmelite Sisters dedicated to caring for the poor aged. She is honored as a

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Or ...

Early life

He was born on 29 December 1811 in

Aitona Aitona is a and ''municipi'' (municipality) in the comarca of Segrià Segrià () is a comarca (county) in the west of Catalonia, Spain, bordering Aragon. , over two thirds of its population live in the capital city of Lleida, which is also Cata ...

Lerida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as w ...

, the 7th of the nine children of Joseph Palau and Maria Antònia Quer, who were fervent royalists and devoted Catholics. They were a humble farming family who would gather together to pray the rosary after their day's labors. He was baptized that same day in keeping with local custom. He was born into a period of widespread hunger and chaos due to the devastation wrought by the French invasion of Spain, which had reached the region the previous year. The entire Palau family was active in the parish life and fervent in the reception of the

sacrament A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the rea ...

s. The father and all the children were members of the parish choir. Francisco initially studied at the town school. At the age of 14, Palau decided to become a priest. Through the help of his sister Rosa, he pursued higher education for this goal in the City of

Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, a ...

. He was enrolled in the

diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

of that city in October 1828, where he studied philosophy and theology. For four years he was granted a ''porcionista'' scholarship, which meant he was given full tuition as well as room and board. In the course of his seminary studies, Palau came to know the

friars. In 1832 he relinquished his scholarship to enter that Order.

Discalced Carmelite friar

Palau entered the Carmelite Priory of St. Joseph in

on 23 October 1832, and on the following 14 November he was given the

religious habit A religious habit is a distinctive set of religious clothing worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognizable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anchoritic life, ...

of the Order and the

religious name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should not be "foreign ...

of Francisco of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. He professed solemn

religious vows Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices, and views. In the Buddhism tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of re ...

in the Discalced Carmelite Order on 15 November 1833. This was at a time when religious persecution was beginning in Spain as a result of the

First Carlist War The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833 to 1840, the first of three Carlist Wars. It was fought between two factions over the succession to the throne and the nature of the Spanish monarchy: the conservative and devolutionist ...

. He was aware of the situation but courageous, and he never retracted his option. He continued his studies of theology at the Barcelona priory. On 25 July 1835, Barcelona succumbed to rioting, which included the burning of convents and monasteries. St. Joseph Priory was one of those burned down. Dragged from the house by the revolutionary forces, he was arrested by them.

Hermit and missionary

The Spanish government abolished religious communities at that point and Palau continued his life of

asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

in his hometown, where he alternated between solitude and apostolic activities. At the time he was still a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

, but he maintained contact with his Provincial Prior, who prepared him at a distance for

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

as a priest. This was done by the Bishop of Barbastro on 2 April 1836. Still unable to live in community, his first charge in his ministry was as an itinerant preacher. In 1837, the city of

Berga Berga () is the capital of the ''comarca'' (county) of Berguedà, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered by the municipalities of Cercs, Olvan, Avià, Capolat and Castellar del Riu. History Berga derives its name ...

became the center of the

Carlist Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalist and Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the Bourbon dynasty – one descended from Don Carlos, Count of Molina (1788–1855) – o ...

forces and Palau settled there. Due both to his popularity and conflict with Church authorities, however, the government there briefly denied him a license to hear confessions and conduct religious services. The young priest began to wander the rural regions of Catalonia and

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to s ...

, preaching the faith and hoping to restore enthusiasm for the Catholic faith among the local populace. He would also spend periods of solitude living in the caves of the region, in the pattern of the

Desert Fathers The Desert Fathers or Desert Monks were early Christian hermits and ascetics, who lived primarily in the Scetes desert of the Roman province of Egypt, beginning around the third century AD. The is a collection of the wisdom of some of the ea ...

. In 1840 his efforts caused him to be named an Apostolic Missionary in the various

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

s of the region.

Exile

France-Gorges de Galamus-Canyonnig-2005-08-05

By July 1840 the royalist forces in Berga had been overwhelmed by their opponents. Palau felt that his religious activities would mark him with the Liberal authorities, so on 21 July he decided to cross the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

to live in exile in France. Palau initially settled in

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...

, later moving to a cave in the Gorge of Galamus, near

Lesquerde Lesquerde (; oc, L'Esquèrda; ca, L'Esquerda) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Lesquerde is located in the canton of La Vallée de l'Agly and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Populatio ...

, where he lived until 1842. He then moved to the region of

Montauban Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, ...

, where he continued to live his solitary life in the Grotto of the Holy Cross in Livron, and then in

Cambayrac Cambayrac is a Communes of France, commune in the Lot (department), Lot Departments of France, department in south-western France.Jean-Marie Doney. What had been a confusing oscillation from solitude to service and back to solitude again made sense for him when he recognized that the real Church is the congregation of humans in the whole Christ. God and neighbors together, is his Beloved. Palau returned briefly to Spain in 1846. He stayed in his hometown of Aitona. He was soon accused by the local government authorities of upsetting the public order and returned to France the following year. He initially settled in

Caylus, Tarn-et-Garonne Caylus (; Languedocien: ''Cailutz'') is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Its inhabitants are called Caylusiens and Caylusiennes. City Caylus is famous for a castle built before 1176, and ...

, where he received a hostile reception. Expelled from there by the local government in December 1847, he returned to Cambayrac, where he again faced the hostility of Doney, which lasted even after his ultimate return to Spain. Due to the outbreak of the

French Revolution of 1848 The French Revolution of 1848 (french: Révolution française de 1848), also known as the February Revolution (), was a brief period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundatio ...

, Palau obtained a parcel of land in

Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet (; Languedocien: ''Sant Pau de Fenolhet'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet is located in the canton of La Vallée de l'Agly and in the arron ...

, near Perpignan, where he withdrew for greater solitude. The small religious community of hermits he had founded also faced the hostility which their founder had found, and the women's community was suppressed by Doney. In 1849, to defend himself, he wrote: ''La vida solitaria'' (''The Solitary Life'') and ''El solitario de Cantayrac'' (''The Solitary of Cambayrac'').

Return to Spain

Palau returned to Spain on 13 April 1851, after a

Concordat A concordat is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960 st Edi ...

had been signed between the Spanish government and the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

. One of its provisions, however, had been the continuation of the suppression of religious communities. Unable to live again with his Carmelite brothers, Palau made himself available to the Archbishop of Barcelona, Josep-Domènec Costa i Borràs, who appointed him as the

spiritual director Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the di ...

of the local seminarians. At the same time Palau was assigned to the Parish Church of St. Augustine with its weekly Sunday school for adults. There he organized the School of Virtue (1851–1854) based on the virtues from the ''Catecismo de las Virtudes'' (''Catechism of the Virtues'') and with a program of 52 propositions on the current ideological movements. The Liberal government then in power protested against the school. As a consequence, it was closed and Palau was arrested and transported to the island of

Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its la ...

Ibiza

Palau remained banished to that island for six 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 Es Cubells is a small village in the southwest of the Spanish island of Ibiza."579 Regional Map, Spain, Islas Baleares. Pub:Michelin Editions des Voyages, 2004, The village is in the municipality of Sant Josep de sa Talaia. The village is reached ...

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. He preached popular missions and spread veneration of Our Lady wherever he went. During 1860–1861, Palau reorganized the hermits of San Honorato de Randa in

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...

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.

Last years

In 1867 the

Commissariat A commissariat is a department or organization commanded by a commissary or by a corps of commissaries. In many countries, commissary is a police rank. In those countries, a commissariat is a police station commanded by a commissary. In some ...

of Discalced Carmelite friars in Spain appointed Palau as the Director of the Discalced Carmelite tertiaries of the nation. In 1868 he initiated in Barcelona the weekly publication of ''El ermitaño'' (The Hermit). He assisted the sick and he practiced

exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...

. He even created a project for a religious order dedicated exclusively to that ministry. In 1872 he wrote a Rule of Life and Constitutions for the members of the Discalced Carmelite Third Order. While fully immersed in his apostolic and foundational work, in 1872 with an outbreak of

typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...

Palau's help was requested by the Sisters he had founded at the hospital they operated in Peralta de Calasanz,

Huesca Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...

. He went there accompanied by Juana Gratia, arriving on 20 February. After the crisis had passed, he set off to return to Barcelona, but became ill on the road. On 10 March 1872 he was taken to

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tarr ...

, the last of his foundations, where the illness developed into pneumonia. He died there ten days later at 60 years of age, assisted by the Sisters he had founded and two other Discalced friars. With the opening of the cause for the beatification of Palau, on 13 December 1947, his remains were moved from the public cemetery in Tarragona to the chapel of the motherhouse of the Teresian

Carmelite Missionaries The Carmelite Missionaries (; ) is a religious institute of pontifical right in the Catholic Church founded by Francisco Palau. References External links * {{Official website, https://www.carmelitasmisioneras.org/en/quienessomos/ Ca ...

whom he had founded. Francisco Palau was beatified by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

on 24 April 1988. His

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context do ...

is celebrated on November 7 by the Carmelite Order.

Legacy

After the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

that ended in 1939, the Carmelite Tertiary Brothers who survived were incorporated into the Discalced Carmelite friars. The Sisters are now flourishing in two autonomous congregations, both headquartered in Rome: the Teresian Carmelite Missionaries, who serve in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America; and the Carmelite Missionaries, who serve in some 40 countries around world.

Quotes

From 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 the 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".

References

External links

Fr. Francisco Palau Y Quer

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palau, Francisco 1811 births 1872 deaths People from Segrià Discalced Carmelites Venerated Carmelites Roman Catholic priests from Catalonia 19th-century Spanish Roman Catholic priests Catholic exorcists Founders of Catholic religious communities People from Ibiza Deaths from pneumonia in Spain Burials in the Province of Tarragona Beatifications by Pope John Paul II Carmelite beatified people Spanish beatified people 19th-century venerated Christians Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II Spanish exorcists