Luis de Trelles y Noguerol

The life of Luis de Trelles is marked by an exceptional commitment to civil society, politics, and the works of the Church:

1. Charitable and social commitment: In 1858, he founded the Saint Vincent de Paul Conferences in Viveiro. Throughout his career as a lawyer, he defended the excluded pro bono. In 1876, he notably undertook the defense of Baldomera Larra Wetoret, daughter of the writer Mariano José de Larra, who was involved in a famous pyramid scheme case. 2. Political career: He was elected deputy to the Cortes for his hometown of Viveiro in 1853, but resigned shortly thereafter out of consistency with his religious convictions regarding government policy. He was elected deputy again for the constituency of Vilademuls (Girona) between 1872 and 1873. Although close to Carlism, he firmly opposed the outbreak of the Third Carlist War, which he deemed contrary to Christian values. 3. Pioneering humanitarian action: During the Third Carlist War (1872-1876), he established a Prisoner Exchange Commission (Comisión de Canjes de Prisioneros) and was appointed Commissioner General for exchanges. Thanks to his diplomatic efforts and personal fortune, he managed to negotiate the release and save from death or captivity more than 20,000 prisoners from both sides. This humanitarian work anticipated the principles of the 1929 Geneva Convention by more than 50 years, earning him the nickname of the "Angel of Peace" of the 19th century. 4. Foundation of the Spanish Nocturnal Adoration (ANE): During a trip to Paris in August 1862, he participated for the first time in a nocturnal adoration vigil before the Blessed Sacrament. Deeply moved, he dedicated fifteen years of his life to overcoming administrative and ecclesial resistance to establish this devotion in Spain. On November 3, 1877, he officially founded the first section of the Spanish Nocturnal Adoration at the San Antonio del Prado convent in Madrid. He would personally found 52 sections throughout the country. 5. Eucharistic works and publications: In 1868, he launched the Culto Continuo (Continuous Worship) to Jesus in the Sacrament. In 1870, he created, directed, and financed the monthly Eucharistic spirituality magazine La Lámpara del Santuario (The Sanctuary Lamp), which he would write almost single-handedly for more than twenty years. In 1881, he also founded the association of Camareras de Jesús Sacramentado (Ladies of the Most Blessed Sacrament) to involve women in this prayer dynamic, establishing 30 sections of this work.

The cause for the beatification of Luis de Trelles was introduced by the Luis de Trelles Foundation, which acts as the primary petitioner for the cause. * The diocesan process opened in the Diocese of Zamora on October 15, 1994 (following preliminary steps initiated in 1993). * The diocesan inquiry was officially closed on January 29, 2000. * The documents were transmitted to Rome, to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on March 13, 2000. * The decree of legal validity for the diocesan process was issued by the Congregation on November 24, 2000. * The Positio, a summary document on his life and virtues, was examined and approved by historical and theological consultants between 2009 and 2010.

On January 22, 2015, Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Luis de Trelles y Noguerol. The decree was officially published the following day, January 23, 2015, conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

To date, no beatification has yet taken place, as the approval of a miracle attributed to his intercession is required to reach this stage.

The spirituality of Luis de Trelles is deeply Eucharistic and contemplative, yet inseparable from a rigorous social and charitable commitment. For him, silent nocturnal adoration before the Blessed Sacrament is not a refuge from the world, but the engine of active charity toward the poorest and the victims of conflicts. He magnificently anticipated the theology of the laity of the Second Vatican Council, demonstrating that a married layman, a father, and one fully engaged in professional and political life could reach the heights of Christian holiness.

His legacy remains alive through the Spanish Nocturnal Adoration (ANE), which still gathers many faithful throughout Spain, as well as through the work of the Luis de Trelles Foundation, which continues to disseminate his writings and promote his cause for canonization.