JOSEPH ORIOL, Saint. - Born in Barcelona on 23 Nov. 1650, died there on 22 March 1702. Doctor at the University of Bologna in 1674. Priest in 1676. He was a tutor in the house of Tommaso Gasneri, then, desirous of the ascetic life, he devoted himself to penance and came as a pilgrim to Rome, where Innocent XI conferred on him the benefice of the church of S. Maria del Pino in Barcelona.

Having returned to his homeland, he exercised his ministry in that church, instilling in the faithful the principles of his austere life. In 1693, out of missionary zeal and a desire for martyrdom, he left Barcelona for Japan. But during the journey, in Rome, where he stopped to receive the apostolic blessing from the Pope, he fell gravely ill and, seeing in this a sign of God's will, returned to Barcelona, where he died.

Beatified by Pius VII (21 Sept. 1806), he was canonized by Pius X on 20 May 1909. His relics were dispersed during the Spanish revolution of 1821. Feast on 23 March.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: C. Salotti, Vita di s. G. O., sacerdote e beneficiato di Barcellona, Turin 1909; J. Ballester y Claramunt, Vida de s. José O., Barcelona 1909.

Gennaro Auleta

@incollection{ec6_giuseppe_oriol_santo, author = {Auletta, Gennaro}, title = {Giuseppe Oriol, santo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {821--822}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/giuseppe-oriol-santo} }

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Joseph Oriol, Saint

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