Blessed Pere Tarrés i Claret

Pere Tarrés i Claret (30 May 1905 – 31 August 1950) was a Catholic doctor from Barcelona, who became a priest. Claret served as a doctor during the Spanish Civil War, and administered to the poor and to those who suffered from tuberculosis; he also co-established a clinic for those who could not afford adequate medical treatment. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Loreto on 5 September 2004. Pere Tarrés i Claret was born in 1905 in Manresa to Francesc Tarrés Puigdellívol and Carme Claret Masats; his two sisters Francesca and Maria later became nuns. As a child he helped the local chemist and store owner Josep Balaguer who encouraged the child to continue his studies in medicine. From the age of nine he studied with the Jesuits; he received Confirmation on 31 May 1910 and his First Communion on 1 May 1913. He moved to Barcelona in October 1921 in order to prepare for his studies in medicine; it was there that he decided to become a medical practitioner with the sole aim of helping other people. On 12 March 1925 he gave his first lecture on medicine at the Moral and Instructive Centre de Gracia. His father died in July 1925 and his mother suffered a severe accident not long after that gave her a physical disability. On the occasion of Christmas 1927 he made a vow of chastity. During his period of studies he received spiritual direction from Jaume Serra who encouraged Claret to enter a particular Christian federation. In the 1930s he began to attend meetings of the Federation of Young Christians of Catalonia – upon Serra's advice – and soon became one of its most prominent of leaders. He later was made its president and was known for his openness to others' ideas and for his stark enthusiasm. He maintained frequent correspondence with several colleagues in the federation and later ascended to the post of vice-president of the federal council.