Giles of Santarem, Bl.

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GILES OF SANTAREM, BL.

Dominican preacher and ecclesiastical superior; b. Vaozela, Portugal, c. 1184; d. Santarem, Spain, May 14, 1265. Having been endowed in youth with five ecclesiastical benefices, he used their proceeds to live a dissipated life. He went to Paris to study medicine, but gave up this interest to take up necromancy, which he practiced with some attendant fame. After experiencing a religious conversion, he returned to Spain, about 1220, where he entered the Dominican Order at Palencia. When sent to study the sacred sciences, he made the acquaintance of Bl. jordan of saxony, Bl. humbert of romans, and other prominent friars. He taught and preached after he returned to Spain, and was twice elected provincial of the Spanish province. benedict xiv ratified his cult on March 9, 1748.

Feast: May 14.

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum May 3:400436. j. quÉtif and j. Échard, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum 1:241244. p. Álvarez, Santos, bienaventurados, venerables de la orden de los Predicadores 4 v. (Vergara, Spain 192023) v.1.

[a. h. camacho]