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Manuel Míguez González was born on March 24, 1831 in Spain as the fourth and final child of Benito Míguez and María González. Manuel had a sister and two brothers.
As a child, Manuel had a great love of animals, and loved to observe them, as would a scientist. When his elder brother Antonio was studying to become a priest, and his brother José was thinking of studying for the priesthood also, Manuel decided that he, too, would be a priest. The boys’ father, however, did not like the idea of all three sons becoming priests, for he needed a son to help him on the farm. Therefore, Benito decided that José would stay on the farm, while Antonio and Manuel would study to become priests.
In 1850, Manuel joined the Piarist novitiate in Madrid. This Order, founded by St. Joseph Calasanz, specializes in educating children. In religious life, Manuel took the name Faustino of the Incarnation.
During his studies, Manuel studied the natural sciences in addition to other fields, and he was ordained on March 8, 1856 and celebrated his first Mass of Thanksgiving on the following day, the feast of St. Joseph, 1856.
As a new priest, Fr. Faustino served in a wide range of schools in Spain. Then, in 1857, he was sent to serve in Cuba but later returned to Spain in 1860 because of illness. In addition to serving children, he was known as a confessor who had much patience and sage advice.
Fr. Faustino also developed a passion for studying medicinal plants, which he saw as remedies from God to cure various ailments. Often, he would prepare natural medicines for people with illnesses.
Fr. Faustino also developed a profound devotion to marginalized and illiterate women, and he became a champion for equal rights for girls and women. To help him in this fight, he founded the Daughters of the Divine Shepherdess on January 2, 1885. This new Order, also known as the Calasanzian Institute, is devoted to the education and promotion of women. Fr. Faustino was fond of saying that when one educates a woman, that person educates a family, for women have controlled child-rearing through the ages in all societies.
Fr. Faustino died on March 8, 1925 at the age of 93, and Pope Francis canonized him on October 15, 2017.
St. Manuel Faustino Míguez Gonzalez’ feast day is March 8. Saint Manuel Faustino is a patron saint of the Daughters of the Divine Shepherdess, educators, pharmacists, and scientists.
