Blessed Francisco Gárate

Francisco Gárate Aranguren, SJ (3 February 1857 - 9 September 1929) was a Spanish Catholic professed religious of the Jesuit order. Aranguren served as a nurse after receiving his qualification in 1877 and became noted for his encouragement and his tender care to the needs of students in his care. His funeral saw students place rosaries and crucifixes on his coffin for his posthumous blessing. His reputation for personal holiness led to calls for his beatification cause to commence and Pope John Paul II beatified him on 6 October 1985 in Saint Peter's Square. Francisco Gárate Aranguren was born on 3 February 1857 in the Kingdom of Spain as the second of seven brothers to Francisco and Maria Aranguren. He was born not far from the birthplace of Ignatius of Loyola. At the age of fourteen he left his home for domestic work in a Catholic college that had just been opened in Orduña. In 1874 he decided to become a Jesuit religious - though not an ordained priest - and so he and two companions travelled on foot to Poyanne in France to commence their novitiate. The group did this because the Spanish Jesuits were expelled in 1869 and had to open a branch in France. The novice made his religious vows on 2 February 1876 and left the town on 29 October 1877 to be a sacristan and nurse in the La Guardia college at Pontevedra, where he spent the next ren years. It was his first assigned task since he finished his novitiate in which he had 200 male students in his care. He made his final vows on 15 August 1887 (the Feast of the Assumption) and in late March 1888 was assigned to the Deusto college as a doorkeeper and sacristan. He remained in that post until his death. Two of his brothers followed his example and themselves became professed Jesuit brothers. Aranguren tended to ill students with great care and kindness while being attentive to their needs. He offered consolation and encouragement to students and was a wellspring of advice for all.