Saint José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero
Priest of the Córdoba mountains who rode his mule to every household in the valley
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Priest
- Life
- 1840 – 1914
- Era
- 20th century
- Feast
- 16 March
- Countries
- Argentina
Life story
José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero was born on 16 March 1840 at Santa Rosa de Río Primero, in Córdoba province, Argentina. He studied at the seminary in Córdoba, was ordained in 1866, and in that same period he cared for the sick during a cholera epidemic. After some time of work in Córdoba, in 1869 he was appointed parish priest of the San Alberto valley, in the western mountains of the province.
The region was large, thinly populated and short of roads and schools. He often rode a mule named Malacara to visit homes in remote places, to celebrate Mass and to help the sick. With the people he built small chapels, schools and tracks, and he promoted the building of the House of Spiritual Exercises at Villa del Tránsito, where thousands came for retreats. He also pressed the authorities for roads and bridges in the area.
Late in life he contracted leprosy; according to the story he may have caught it by sharing utensils with the sick, but this is not entirely certain. He gradually went blind and his health declined, yet he stayed among his parishioners at Villa del Tránsito. He died on 26 January 1914 in the place that is now named Villa Cura Brochero.
He was beatified in 2013 and canonised by Pope Francis on 16 October 2016, the first Argentine saint to be canonised. He was a diocesan priest. He is still remembered affectionately as the gaucho priest, and the valley where he worked is now a destination of pilgrimage. His feast is kept on 16 March, his birthday.
Works and witness
- Nursed the sick during the 1867 cholera epidemic
- Parish priest of the San Alberto valley from 1869
- Built chapels, schools and roads with the people
- Helped found the retreat house at Villa del Tránsito
- Went blind with leprosy and died in 1914
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.