Didacus of Alcalá

Saint Didacus of Alcalá, also known as Diego de Alcalá, was born around 1400 in San Nicolás del Puerto in the Kingdom of Seville, to a poor yet devout family. Drawn early to prayer and simplicity, he first lived as a hermit, then entered the Observant Franciscans as a lay brother, serving humbly through manual work and preaching to villages around Córdoba, Cádiz, and Seville. Sent as a missionary to the Canary Islands, he became porter at the friary on Lanzarote and later—by rare exception for a lay brother—was appointed guardian on Fuerteventura, where his prudence and holiness shone. His courageous defense of the indigenous people against exploitation led to his return to Spain. In Rome during the Jubilee of 1450, an epidemic broke out, and Didacus spent months tending the sick; many attributed healings to his intercession. His final years were lived in penance and contemplation at Alcalá de Henares, where he died on November 12, 1463. Canonized in 1588, he is venerated for humble charity, miracles, and love for the poor, and is patron of El Quetzal, La Gomera, San Diego, and Tuéjar. His feast day is November 13.