Feb. 9, St. Miguel Febres Cordero, FSC

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Today is the feast of St. Miguel Febres Cordero, FSC.

Francisco Febres Cordero Muñoz was born at Cuenca, Ecuador, on Nov. 7, 1854. He died at Premià de Mar, Spain, one hundred years ago today.

In 1868 he entered The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, the first Ecuadorian to do so. He became Brother Miguel.

"When he was not quite twenty years old, he published the first of his many books, a Spanish grammar that soon became a standard text. In time his research and publications in the field of literature and linguistics put him in touch with scholars all over the world and he was granted membership in the National Academies of Ecuador and Spain."

Please click here for a "Lasallian Educator's Meditation on Saint (Brother) Miguel Febres Cordero." Note particularly, in section 3, his teaching methods and the care he took with lesson plans.

Click here for the Mass for the feast of St. Miguel.

Miguel was canonized in 1984 by Pope John Paul II, the first Ecuadorian to be canonized. Click here for his biography (in Spanish) from the Vatican web site, and here for his picture.

Brother Miguel's books have not been translated into English, but are easily obtained through interlibrary loans. Click here for libraries holding books by and about St. Miguel Febres Cordero.

St. Miguel's relics are enshrined at Quito, Ecuador.

A very happy feast day to all Brothers of the Christian Schools, to their students and alumni, to their lay colleagues, and to all Ecuadorians!