OROZCO, ALFONSO DE, BL.

Augustinian ascetical writer; b. Oropesa (Toledo), October 17, 1500; d. Madrid, Sept. 19, 1591. He studied first at home, then in Salamanca, and followed the lead of his elder brother Francis by entering the Augustinians in 1521. From 1530 to 1554 he was superior, successively, at Soria, Medina, Seville, Granada, and Valladolid. He was appointed court preacher and counselor to Charles V in 1554. Later he was adviser to Philip II, son of Charles. His intense apostolate merited him the good will of all. King and people alike were edified by his zeal, penitential life, and works of charity. He was beatified by Leo XIII on Oct. 1, 1881. Orozco wrote and edited many spiritual and apologetical works. His first and most important work was Vergel de oración y monte de contemplación (Seville 1544). He wrote also Desposorio espiritual (Seville 1551); Regimiento del alma (Valladolid 1551); Las siete palabras de la Virgen (Valladolid 1556); Victoria de mundo (Valladolid 1565); Arte de amar a Dios y al projimo (Valladolid 1568); De la suavidad de Dios (Valladolid 1588); Bonum certamen (Valladolid 1562); and Regalis institutio (Alcalá 1565).

Bibliography: leo XIII, "Quod Paulus Apostolus aiebat" (Apostolic letter, October 1, 1881) Leonis XIII Acta, 23 v. (Rome 1881–1905) 2:374–384. m. del prado gonzalez, "Teologia de la cruz en el beato Alfonso de Orozco," Nova et Vetera 19 (1994) 327–344. l. rubio calzon, El beato Alonso de Orozco hombre de letras: Indice de sus escritos y su significación como autor (Madrid 1992). f. lang, Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascétique et mystique. Doctrine et histoire, ed., m. viller et al. (Paris 1932) 1:392–395.

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