General Notes

BIOGRAPHY:
BIOGRAPHY:                           King of Leon and Casti
le, member of the Third Order of St. Francis, born in 1198
near Salamanca; died at Seville
, 30 May, 1252. He was the son of Alfonso IX,
King of Leon, and of Berengeria
, the daughter of Alfonso III, King of Castile, and
sister of Blanche, the mother o
f St. Louis IX.
BIOGRAPHY:                           In 1217 Ferdinand beca
me King of Castile, which crown his mother renounced in
his favour, and in 1230 he succee
ded to the crown of Leon, though not without
civil strife, since many were opp
osed to the union of the two kingdoms. He took
as his counsellors the wisest me
n in the State, saw to the strict administration of
justice, and took the greatest ca
re not to overburden his subjects with taxation,
fearing, as he said, the curse o
f one poor woman more than a whole army of
Saracens. Following his mother'
s advice, Ferdinand, in 1219, married Beatrice,
the daughter of Philip of Swabia
, King of Germany, one of the most virtuous
princesses of her time. God bless
ed this union with seven children: six princes
and one princess. The highest aim
s of Ferdinand's life were the propagation of
the Faith and the liberation of S
pain from the Saracen yoke. Hence his continual
wars against the Saracens. He too
k from them vast territories, Granada and
Alicante alone remaining in thei
r power at the time of his death. In the most
important towns he founded bishop
rics, reestablished Catholic worship
everywhere, built churches, found
ed monasteries, and endowed hospitals. The
greatest joys of his life were th
e conquests of Cordova (1236) and Seville (1248).
He turned the great mosques of th
ese places into cathedrals, dedicating them to
the Blessed Virgin. He watched ov
er the conduct of his soldiers, confiding more
in their virtue than in their val
our, fasted strictly himself, wore a rough hairshirt,
and often spent his nights in pra
yer, especially before battles. Amid the tumult of
the camp he lived like a religiou
s in the cloister. The glory of the Church and the
happiness of his people were th
e two guiding motives of his life. He founded the
University of Salamanca, the Athe
ns of Spain. Ferdinand was buried in the great
cathedral of Seville before the i
mage of the Blessed Virgin, clothed, at his own
request, in the habit of the Thir
d Order of St. Francis. His body, it is said,
remains incorrupt. Many miracle
s took place at his tomb, and Clement X
canonized him in 1671. His feas
t is kept by the Minorites on the 30th of May.
BIOGRAPHY: Memorial
30 May
Profile
Son of Alfonso IX, King of Leon, and Berengaria, daugh
ter of King Alfonso III of Castille. King of Castille in 12
17 at
age 18. King of Leon in 1230. King of Palencia, Vallad
olid, and Burgos. Married to Princess Beatrice, daughter o
f Philip
of Swabia, King of Germany. The couple had seven son
s and three daughters. In his later years, Ferdinand's fath
er
desired to return to his throne, and he turned agains
t Ferdinand; he eventually gave up the idea, however, and t
he two
reconciled. Following the death of Beatrice in 1236, h
e married Joan of Ponthiers, with whom he had two sons and a
daughter.
BIOGRAPHY:      A stern judge when it came to the law, he w
as gentle and forgiving in his personal life. Founded the U
niversity of
Salamanca. Rebuilt the Cathedral of Burgos. Crusaded f
or 27 years against the Muslims in Spain. Successfully hel
d back
Islamic invasions in 1225, and took Cordoba and Sevill
e from them in 1234-36. Founded the Cathedral of Burgos and
the University of Salamanca. Converted the Great Mosqu
e in Seville to a cathedral.
BIOGRAPHY:      A man of great faith and devotion, especial
ly to Our Lady, Ferdinand founded and funded hospitals, bis
hoprics,
monasteries, and churches. He reformed Spanish law, an
d compiled it into a form used for centuries after. An exce
llent
administrator