Juan José Jaime Bonal Cortada

In 1804, desiring to dedicate himself fully to the poor, Father Juan Bonal renounced his teaching chair in Reus and joined the Hospital of the Holy Cross in Barcelona as a chaplain. There, he discovered the service of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity and conceived the project of a similar foundation to meet the immense needs of the time. At the same time, the administration of the Royal and General Hospital of Our Lady of Grace (Hospital de Nuestra Señora de Gracia) in Zaragoza was seeking to reorganize its care services. This immense establishment welcomed not only the sick, but also abandoned children, people suffering from mental disorders, and all those excluded from society. Father Juan Bonal then gathered a group of volunteers. Among them was a young woman from Villafranca del Penedès, María Ràfols Bruna. On December 28, 1804, Father Bonal arrived in Zaragoza at the head of a group of 12 brothers and 12 sisters of charity. From January 1, 1805, they began their service to the sick at the hospital. This community of women, under the direction of Mother María Ràfols (first superior) and the spiritual accompaniment of Father Juan Bonal (director and chaplain), gave birth to the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Anne (Hermanas de la Caridad de Santa Ana). The life of the young congregation was profoundly disrupted by the Spanish War of Independence and the terrible sieges of Zaragoza (1808-1809). The Hospital of Our Lady of Grace was entirely destroyed by bombings and fires. The sisters and Father Bonal devoted themselves tirelessly amidst the ruins and epidemics to care for the wounded, feed the hungry, and save the orphans.

After the destruction of the hospital, the establishment was plunged into extreme poverty. To ensure the survival of the sick, the orphans, and the community, the hospital administration entrusted Father Juan Bonal with a grueling mission: to travel across Spain to beg for funds and provisions. Starting in 1814, Father Bonal thus became the 'beggar of God' (mendigo de Dios). Traveling on foot or on modest mounts, he spent fifteen years traversing the roads of Aragon, Navarre, Castile, the Basque Country, and León. This life of wandering and deprivation was extremely harsh. He was often confronted with misunderstanding, inclement weather, and physical fatigue. Yet, his journeys were not only material: wherever he went, he preached, heard confessions for long hours, consoled the afflicted, and reawakened the faith of rural populations. He became a true itinerant missionary of charity. Exhausted by these years of peregrinations, he would regularly retreat to pray and regain his strength at the sanctuary of Our Lady of Salz (Nuestra Señora del Salz) in Zuera, near Zaragoza. It was there that he passed away on August 19, 1829, at the age of 59.

The cause for the beatification of Father Juan Bonal was opened at the diocesan level in Zaragoza. The diocesan inquiry was validated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on October 13, 2000, and the Positio was published in 2006. On December 20, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable. His cause is currently underway with a view to a future beatification, awaiting the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession.

The spirituality of Father Juan Bonal is centered on an absolute trust in Divine Providence and on an active and universal charity, seeing Christ in the poorest and most suffering. His lifestyle, marked by humility, voluntary detachment, and direct service, makes him a model of the "Church of the poor." Today, his legacy is perpetuated through the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Anne, who continue their mission of care, education, and social assistance throughout the world. Furthermore, the Juan Bonal Foundation (Fundación Juan Bonal), created by the congregation, extends his work of international solidarity through numerous development projects, aid to children, and support for vulnerable populations in about thirty countries.