Miguel Febres Cordero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaintMiguel Febres Cordero F.S.C. |
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| Born | 7 November 1854 Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador |
| Died | 9 February 1910 (aged 55) Premià de Mar, Barcelona, Spain |
| Resting place | Quito |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 30 October 1977, Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope Paul VI |
| Canonized | 21 October 1984, Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
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Francisco Luis Febres-Cordero y Muñoz (born November 7, 1854 – died February 9, 1910) was an Ecuadorian Catholic religious brother. He is also known as Saint Miguel Febres Cordero or Brother Miguel. He became a member of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, often called the La Salle Brothers. When he joined, he chose the name Miguel.
Brother Miguel lived in his home country of Ecuador for almost 40 years. There, he worked to improve education and share his faith. Later, he moved to Spain and continued his work for his religious group. He was also a talented writer. He wrote many books, including school textbooks and poems.
Pope Paul VI declared him "Blessed" on October 30, 1977. Then, Pope John Paul II made him a saint on October 21, 1984. He was the first male saint from Ecuador. Today, he is seen as a national hero in Ecuador. Many people visit his tomb. His special day is celebrated every year on the date he died.
Contents
A Young Life: From Ecuador to Sainthood
Early Years and a Special Gift
Francisco Luis Febres-Cordero y Muñoz was born in Ecuador on November 7, 1854. His parents were Francisco María Febres-Cordero y Montoya and Ana de Jesús Muñoz y Cárdenas. He had two siblings, Aurelio and Ana.
When he was born, he had a problem with his feet. He could not stand or walk easily. His great-grand-niece shared a story about him. When he was five, he said he saw a beautiful lady in white. After this, he was able to walk for the first time. This was seen as a miracle. When he was eight, he was saved from a wild bull. This was also believed to be a miracle. His mother took good care of him and taught him until he was nine. After his mother passed away, his father remarried.
Joining the La Salle Brothers
In 1863, Francisco started school. It was run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools. This group had just arrived in Ecuador. He was chosen to give a welcome speech when the President, Gabriel García Moreno, visited the school.
On March 24, 1868, Francisco became the first Ecuadorian to join the Brothers of the Christian Schools. He took on the religious name "Miguel." His father and grandmother did not want him to join, but he followed his heart.
A Dedicated Teacher and Writer
Brother Miguel worked as a school teacher in Quito for more than 30 years. He was known for being kind and dedicated to his students. He wrote his own school textbooks. One of them was for teaching Spanish. He also wrote poems and essays about teaching. The government liked his textbooks so much that they used them in all schools.
He also studied and wrote books about literature and linguistics (the study of language). Because of his great work, he became a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Letters in 1892. He also joined similar academies in Spain, France, and Venezuela. He helped children prepare for their First Communion. From 1901 to 1904, he guided new members of his religious order.
Journey to Europe and Final Days
In 1888, Brother Miguel went to a special event. Pope Leo XIII declared the founder of his order, John Baptist de la Salle, "Blessed." In 1905, Brother Miguel was sent to Europe. His job was to translate French texts into Spanish for his order. He worked on this in Belgium.
In 1908, his health started to get worse. He was moved to Barcelona, Spain. He kept working as much as he could. There were strikes and churches were burned, so his order had to move. Despite this, he managed to visit a holy place in Zaragoza.
Brother Miguel passed away in 1910 from pneumonia. He was buried in Premià de Mar, Spain. During the Spanish Civil War, his body was moved. It was found to be well-preserved. In 1937, his remains were brought back to Quito. His tomb there became a popular place for people to visit and pray.
The Path to Sainthood
How Someone Becomes a Saint
The process to become a saint starts with local investigations. For Brother Miguel, these happened in Barcelona (1923-1924) and Quito (1938-1943). On November 13, 1935, Pope Pius XI officially started the process. Brother Miguel was then called a Servant of God. Both investigations were approved in 1952.
On March 16, 1970, Pope Paul VI recognized Brother Miguel's very good and holy life. He was then called Venerable.
Becoming "Blessed" (Beatification)
For someone to be declared "Blessed," the Church usually needs to confirm a miracle. The miracle for Brother Miguel's beatification was the healing of Sister Clementina Flores Cordero in 1933. She was very sick with a liver disease. La Salle brothers prayed to Brother Miguel to heal her.
A Church court investigated this healing from 1939 to 1941. The investigation was officially approved on April 30, 1971. Then, it was sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. Pope Paul VI approved the miracle. He declared Brother Miguel "Blessed" on October 30, 1977.
Becoming a Saint (Canonization)
For someone to become a saint, another miracle is usually needed after beatification. The second miracle for Brother Miguel was the healing of Beatriz Gómez de Núñez. She had a serious muscle disease called myasthenia gravis. She went to Brother Miguel's beatification ceremony in St. Peter's Square in Rome. Suddenly, she felt no more pain.
This healing was also investigated by a local Church court. It was approved in 1983. Pope John Paul II approved this miracle. Brother Miguel was made a saint on October 21, 1984.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Febres Cordero para niños
