Saint of the Week

Saint Miguel Febres Cordero Muñoz (1854-1910)
Feast Day: February 9

Miguel was born into a prominent family who lived in Cuenta, Equador. He was born with an unknown disability, which left him unable to stand until age five, when he received a vision of Our Lady. At age eight, he was miraculously protected from being mauled by a wild bull. In 1863, at age nine, he enrolled in a school run by the Christian Brothers, whose Order had only recently come to Ecuador. He joined the Brothers on 24 March 1868 at age 13.

He became a school teacher at El Cebollar School, Quito, and held that position for 32 years. He was a gentle, dedicated, and enthusiastic teacher. He wrote his own textbooks, the first at age 17; some were adopted by the government, and used throughout the country. He also wrote odes, hymns, discourses on teaching methods, plays, inspirational works, and retreat manuals. He was elected to the Ecuadoran Academy of Letters in 1892, followed soon after by the Academies of Spain, France, and Venezuela. He conducted religious retreats, and prepared children for their First Communion. He was also the Novice director for his house from 1901 to 1904.

In 1905, he was sent to Europe to translate texts from French to Spanish for use by the Order; and worked primarily in Belgium. His health began to fail in 1908, and he was transferred to the school near Barcelona, Spain. He continued to work, but slowly, his health continued to fail, and he died there in 1910. In addition to being a religious role model, Miguel is considered a national hero in Ecuador for his success in so many worthwhile areas.

Born:
7 November 1854 at Cuenca, Ecuador

Died:
February 9, 1910 of pneumonina at Premia del Mar, Spain, and buried there; grave disturbed during the Spanish Civil War, and his body found incorrupt; re-buried in Quito, Ecuador, his tomb has become a pilgrimage site

Beatified:
30 October 1977 by Pope Paul VI

Canonized:
21 October 1984 by Pope John Paul II