José Torres Padilla

In Seville, Father José Torres Padilla quickly distinguished himself by his pastoral zeal, his ardent charity, and his deep life of prayer. He taught theology at the conciliar seminary and was appointed canon of the Cathedral of Seville in September 1871. His spiritual influence was such that he became the confessor and spiritual director of many souls, which earned him the popular nickname of "El Santero" (the saint-maker). In 1868, Pope Pius IX appointed him a pontifical consultant and theologian for the First Vatican Council (1869-1870) in Rome.

His major work, however, remains the co-founding of the Company of the Sisters of the Cross (Hermanas de la Compañía de la Cruz). As the spiritual director of the young María de los Ángeles Guerrero González (future Saint Angela of the Cross), he discerned her vocation and accompanied her step by step in the foundation of this new congregation in 1875. This new religious institute was dedicated entirely to the service of the poorest, the homebound sick, and orphans, in a spirit of absolute poverty and humility. Father Torres Padilla became its first ecclesiastical director, guiding the first sisters both spiritually and materially.

Father José Torres Padilla passed away in Seville on April 23, 1878, at the age of 66. His death sparked deep popular emotion in Seville, where crowds gathered to venerate his remains, already considering him a saint. His mortal remains now rest in the chapel of the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross in Seville.

The cause for his beatification was officially opened at the diocesan level on May 5, 2014. On May 21, 2022, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby declaring him venerable.

On March 14, 2024, Pope Francis approved a miracle attributed to his intercession. This miracle, documented by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, concerns the unexplained healing of a nun of the Company of the Cross. Hospitalized in Seville on March 28, 2018, for congestive heart failure and asthmatic bronchitis, her condition had severely deteriorated. On April 11, 2018, a CT angiography revealed a massive thromboembolism and pulmonary infarction, followed by cardiorespiratory arrest. While doctors at the 'Virgen Macarena' University Hospital considered her chances of survival to be almost nil, the communities of the congregation united in prayer, invoking the intercession of the Venerable José Torres Padilla. On April 13, 2018, the nun showed a spectacular and unexplained clinical improvement, with a normalized heart rate and the disappearance of edema. She was discharged from the hospital on April 23, 2018, in perfect health. The solemn beatification ceremony was celebrated on November 9, 2024, in the Cathedral of Seville. It was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, representing Pope Francis, in the presence of thousands of faithful and numerous Sisters of the Cross.

The spirituality of Blessed José Torres Padilla is deeply marked by humility, self-effacement, and an absolute trust in Divine Providence. He summarized his ideal of life through the pursuit of silence and hidden sacrifice. His spiritual writings and advice, recently collected by the Sisters of the Cross under the title Pensamientos (Thoughts), highlight the importance of continual prayer, active charity towards the most destitute, and abandonment to the will of God. His legacy endures through the work of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross, who continue to embody his spirit of poverty and service to the poorest in Spain and throughout the world.