GIOVANNI BATTISTA della Concezione, Blessed
Born in Almodóvar del Campo (Spain) on 10 August 1561. In 1581 he entered the Order of the Most Holy Trinity. After completing his theological studies (1585) at Alcalá de Henares and being ordained a priest, he devoted himself to preaching until 1596, when he was appointed superior of the convent of Valdepeñas. His efforts to establish a reform with stricter observance were frustrated by persistent resistance. He therefore decided to go to Rome, where he arrived, after an adventurous journey, on 21 March 1598. The difficulties encountered delayed until 20 August 1599 the papal bull approving the reform of the Discalced Trinitarians.
On 19 March 1600 the new religious entered the Convent of Valdepeñas, where under the direction of the Blessed himself the reform was initiated. By the time of the reformer’s death, which occurred in Córdoba on 13 February 1613, the reform counted 17 convents of men and one of Discalced nuns. The Blessed left various manuscript volumes, published in Rome in 1830 in a very defective edition. They deal with the history of his reform, but above all with mystical and ascetical problems (among other things, with extraordinary experiences which he himself underwent). He was beatified by Pius VII on 26 September 1819. Feast day: 14 February.