Vatican News told the story this week of a priest from Huércal-Overa in Almeria province, who was beatified at a mass last Saturday.
Father Valera was born in Huércal-Overa in 1816 to a poor and humble family, and this shaped his faith and commitment to Christ. He was ordained a priest in 1838, and served in the parishes of Alhama de Murcia and Cartagena before returning to his home town in 1868, where he was parish priest for some 40 years.
Ther are many stories of how he shared what little he had with those in need, and cared for people suffering from the cholera epidemics of that time. He was known for his dedication to ministry, his simple lifestyle, and deep love for the community he served.
Beatification is a key step on the process of becoming a saint and follows a rigorous investigation into the candidate’s life of “heroic virtue” or martyrdom, granting them the title “Blessed”. It recognises their entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals, but falls short of the final stage, canonisation.
However it needs a miracle to seal the deal. Apparently in 2007, a Spanish doctor, Dr Juan Sánchez-Esteban, also from Huércal-Overa, was treating a new born baby at Rhode Island Memorial Hospital in Providence in the US. The baby had a low heart rate and looked bluish pale due to poor oxygenation of the blood. In his desperation, Dr Sánchez-Esteban prayed to Father Valera to ask him to intervene. A few minutes after the prayer, the child began breathing and his heart began beating normally, and he had none of the expected brain damage that can follow poor oxygenation.
Vatican News reports that, after ‘thorough medical and theological research by the Dicastery for the Cause of Saints, Pope Leo XIV approved this miracle on 20 June 2025’. Read their story here.