SALVATOR OF HORTA, ST.

Franciscan lay brother; b. Santa Coloma de Farnés, Catalonia, Spain, 1520; d. Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, March 18, 1567. At the age of 21, Salvatore, of humble origin, became a lay brother in the Franciscan convent near Barcelona. Besides personal sanctity, his religious life was marked by a gift of working miracles, a power exercised especially for the sick and infirm. Because of the crowds that besieged the convents where he was assigned, his residence was repeatedly changed by the superiors on the plea that religious tranquility was being disturbed. Twice, on account of his wonder-working, he was denounced to the Inquisition. Salvatore acquired the appendage to his name from the remote convent of Horta, where he remained the longest and whence his fame spread throughout Spain. He was finally transferred in 1565 to Cagliari, where he died two years later. His widespread cult received official approbation by clement xi, Jan. 29, 1711; he was canonized by pius xi, April 17, 1938.

Feast: March 18.

Bibliography: Acta Canonizationum quibus … Pius papa xi … BB. Andreae Boboli M., Ioanni Leonardi C. atque Salvatori ab Horta C. sanctorum caelitum honores decrevit … collecta, ed. a. carinci (Iles de Lérins 1941). j. foquet, El taumaturgo catalán beato Salvador de Horta (Vich, Spain 1927). f. gamissans, Salvador d'Horta (Barcelona 1967). e. zaragoza pascual, Vida de San Salvador de Horta (Barcelona 1967). a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, rev. ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4v. (New York 1956) 1:630.

[j. b. wuest]