Diego José of Cádiz

After his ordination, Father Diego José retired for several years to the convent of Ubrique to devote himself to prayer, penance, and the in-depth study of the Holy Scriptures and theology. In 1771, he began his ministry as a preacher during a Lenten mission in Estepona. This was the starting point of an immense career as a popular missionary that would last for thirty years. Diego José of Cadiz traveled on foot throughout Andalusia, and then across all of Spain (Valencia, Madrid, Galicia, Castile, Aragon). His fiery sermons, simple yet of great theological strength, attracted immense crowds that often could not fit into the churches, forcing him to preach in public squares. He is particularly known for his defense of the Catholic faith against the ideas of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution, which he fought vigorously. He notably published a famous work, El Soldado Católico en guerra de religión (The Catholic Soldier in religious war), to encourage spiritual and military resistance against the French invaders. He was also a zealous propagator of devotion to the Holy Trinity and to the Virgin Mary under the title of the "Divine Shepherdess" (Divina Pastora), becoming one of the main promoters of this devotion in Spain.

The ministry of Blessed Diego José is marked by a profound union between action and contemplation. Despite his immense popular success, he maintained a heroic humility and refused ecclesiastical honors, even though he was appointed theologian and consultant to several dioceses and received honorary titles from the universities of Granada and Seville. His apostolic zeal also drew him many enmities and slanders from supporters of liberal and regalist ideas. He was temporarily exiled from Seville in 1784 after defending the poor against the abuses of the rich during a Good Friday sermon. He accepted these trials with patience and submission to the divine will. In 1801, when a yellow fever epidemic struck the region of Ronda, he refused to leave the city in order to continue providing spiritual assistance to the population. He contracted the disease and died on March 24, 1801, in Ronda, at the age of 57.

The reputation for holiness of Diego José de Cadix spread immediately after his death. His beatification process was opened in the 19th century. He was solemnly beatified on April 22, 1894, by Pope Leo XIII in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. His mortal remains, exhumed during the process, were transferred to a silver urn kept at the sanctuary of the Virgen de la Paz (Our Lady of Peace) in Ronda, in accordance with his wish to be buried at the feet of the patroness of the city.

The spirituality of Diego José de Cádiz is deeply Franciscan, centered on the love of the crucified Christ and evangelical poverty. He always carried a large crucifix during his preaching, inviting the faithful to penance and conversion of heart. His literary legacy is considerable, including numerous sermons, apologetic treatises, and an abundant spiritual correspondence. He also wrote a famous novena dedicated to Jesús del Gran Poder (Jesus of the Great Power), actively propagating this devotion in Seville. His spiritual influence continued long after his death: it was notably during the celebrations of the triduum of his beatification in Ronda in 1894 that the young Francisco Tomás (the future Blessed Leopold of Alpandeire) discovered his vocation as a Capuchin friar.