Francisco de Paula Tarin Arnau

From 1888, Father Tarín dedicated himself entirely to popular and rural missions, tirelessly traveling through Andalusia, Castile, León, and Extremadura. Nicknamed the "Apostle of the Sacred Heart" or the "Lion of Christ," he led a life of extreme austerity. His daily rhythm was exhausting: he began with the dawn rosaries, followed by morning sermons, catechism for children, lectures for various audiences, and visits to the poor sick, prisoners, and hospitals. In the evening, he preached in public squares or churches, then heard confessions until dawn, allowing himself only two to three hours of sleep per night. From 1898 to 1904, he assumed the role of superior of the Jesuit residence of the Sacred Heart in Seville. During his ministry, he actively supported charitable works, notably the "Casa de preservadas" (Our Lady of the Rosary) in Seville, an institution founded by an association of ladies that he presided over, aimed at protecting young girls from the moral dangers of the time. This work was later entrusted to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (Salesian Sisters). Despite his declining health, tuberculosis, and his gangrenous leg (which forced him to preach kneeling on a chair), he refused to slow down his apostolate. Struck down by illness during a mission in El Coronil, he was brought back to Seville where he died.

Considered a saint during his lifetime by the Sevillian population, who called him "the good angel of Seville," his death sparked immense popular emotion. Endless queues formed to venerate his remains as they lay in state at the Church of the Sacred Heart. His funeral took on the appearance of a triumphal procession. His mortal remains rest today in the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, located on Jesús del Gran Poder Street in Seville, a place that remains an active center of pilgrimage, particularly on Fridays. The diocesan informative process for his beatification was opened in Seville. His writings were approved by decrees in 1930 and 1942, and his cause was officially introduced in Rome on November 14, 1934.

On January 3, 1987, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his theological and cardinal virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable. His cause for beatification is still ongoing in Rome, awaiting the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession.

Father Tarín's spirituality is profoundly Eucharistic and centered on the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He was able to heroically combine an intense contemplative life, nourished by prayer, with overflowing missionary action among the most destitute. Possessing remarkable humility, he liked to define himself as a "poor sinner" and often reminded others that "one advances more by praying than by running." His legacy continues today in Seville and throughout Andalusia. The "Asociación de Amigos del Padre Tarín," founded in Seville, is dedicated to making his life known and supporting his cause for beatification. A street in Seville also bears his name in tribute to his devotion to the city's poor.