Saint Faustino Míguez González

Manuel Míguez González (24 March 1831 – 8 March 1925) – in religion Faustino of the Incarnation – was a Spanish priest and a professed member of the Piarists, as well as the founder of the Daughters of the Divine Shepherdess – better known as the Calasanzian Institute. He gained a rather strong reputation for being a formidable pastor and a man dedicated to both education and science while using his scientific knowledge to concoct natural medicines to aid the ill who came to him for his help. But his religious activism augmented when he saw illiterate women and those who were marginalized and so decided to establish a religious congregation to educate women. The beatification was held in Saint Peter's Square on 25 October 1998 under Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis confirmed his canonization on 21 December 2016; an official date was set at a gathering of the College of Cardinals on 20 April and he was canonized as a saint on 15 October 2017. Manuel Míguez González was born in Ourense Province on 24 March 1831 as the fourth and final child to Benito Míguez and María González. Before him was the eldest child Carmiña and then Antonio and José. The infant was later baptized in the parish church of San Jorge de Acebedo in the town next to his on 25 March. He made his First Communion in 1841. In his childhood he loved trees and spent a lot of time observing them. He studied Latin and the humanities in Ourense where he first discovered and discerned his vocation to become a priest; this intensified upon knowing his elder brother Antonio was on the road to the priesthood through ecclesial studies and José was planning to become one. But his father did not like the idea for he proposed that José take care of the farm while allowing Antonio and Manuel to go.