St. Isidore of Seville is the subject of an April 4 feast day. He was born in Cartagena. Spain in 560 and died in Seville in 636. He was Archbishop of Seville for more than 30 years and known as the ancient world’s last scholar.
Isidore came from a family of saints. Leander and Fulgentius, two of his brothers, and a sister, Florentina, were canonized. He succeeded Leander, in fact, as Bishop of Seville where he converted the Visigoths, organized synods to manage the Spanish Church, and established seminaries in every Spanish diocese.
Isidore’s comprehensive encyclopedia called Etymologies was a standard textbook for Spanish schools for 900 years. He also wrote extensively on geography, astronomy, grammar, biography, and other intellectual matters. He has been proposed as a patron saint of the internet. His love of learning and great acts allowed for him to be canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1598. Pope Innocent declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1722.
